Firm erred in firing worker who left early

A four-year veteran of AXIS Minnesota got her job back after a labor arbitrator ruled she had been unfairly fired for leaving 15 minutes early after working 30 hours in a 34-hour period. Josephine Nyakwara, a health care worker who helped disabled adults at the company's supervised-care facility in Shoreview, left a little early because she was tired after working so many hours without sleep. She worked extra hours to cover for other workers who were sick or absent. The company said she shouldn't have left early without a supervisor's approval or her absence would be considered "a voluntary resignation." According to the decision made public by the Bureau of Mediation Services, the labor arbitrator decided the punishment was too severe. Nyakwara was to be reinstated and paid for lost wages. Read the complete ruling here.