What are commonly used components when measuring economic damages in a wrongful
discharge case? Describe each component and explain why it should be used in the damage
calculation.
-Lost wages: This consist of all earnings that would have been compensated to the employee. It
can include all kind of direct and indirect compensation like salary, pay supplement, bonuses,
reimbursed expenses. This is applied in the calculation because it is what the employee is
immediately out – on a wrongful basis
-FICA (Payments that would have been paid on lost salary): Tax payments that the employer
would have paid on behalf of the employee, and is included because it is the tax portion of the
lost wages
-Health insurance: Includes all employee health and medical benefits, and other employee
benefits, and is included because it is considered and treated in the same way as a lost wage by
the courts in a wrongful discharge case.