Wilkins Township v. Wage Policy Committee of the Wilkins Township Police Department

**Police Officer Wins $25,020 for Denied Off-Duty Work** This case involved a dispute between Wilkins Township and police officer Jon Sherman over off-duty employment. Sherman wanted to work security at a bar during his time off, but the township denied his request. Sherman argued this denial violated his contract rights, so the matter went to arbitration—a process where a neutral third party resolves workplace disputes. The arbitrator ruled in Sherman's favor and awarded him $25,020 in lost wages. When Wilkins Township challenged this decision in court, both the trial court and Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court sided with Sherman. The courts found that the arbitrator had the authority to make this decision and that the township received fair treatment throughout the process. **What this means for workers:** This ruling shows that employment contracts can protect workers' rights to outside employment, even for government employees. If your contract includes provisions about off-duty work, employers may not be able to arbitrarily deny these opportunities. Workers also have access to arbitration as an effective way to resolve contract disputes, and courts will generally uphold arbitrators' decisions when they follow proper procedures.