Employee Severance Pay Dispute Over Alleged Duress in Resignation

A former employee sued to recover severance pay allegedly due under an employment contract clause that promised such pay upon dismissal without fault, but the employer refused, asserting the employee had voluntarily resigned. The court of first instance ruled in favor of the employer, finding the resignation voluntary, and the appellate court upheld this finding, basing its decision on the employee's explicit written statement of resignation, even though the employee later claimed duress or undue influence. The High Court quashed the lower court's decision, reasoning that while the written statement was a strong indication of will, the finding of voluntary resignation required a factual basis that accounted for any potential pressure or duress that might have vitiated the employee's true consent, and the appellate court had failed to adequately investigate or rule upon the contested circumstances surrounding the resignation statement.