In re Grievance of Edward Von Turkovich

**What Happened** Edward Von Turkovich filed a workplace grievance that was decided against him. His attorney then tried to appeal this decision to a higher authority, but missed the deadline for filing the appeal. The attorney claimed he never received the notice about the deadline because he had moved offices and failed to update his mailing address with the Labor Relations Board. The attorney asked for extra time to file the late appeal, arguing this was an honest mistake. **What the Court Decided** The Vermont Supreme Court ruled against Von Turkovich and his attorney. The court said that failing to update a mailing address with the Board was the attorney's responsibility, and missing the appeal deadline because of this oversight was not a good enough excuse to grant extra time. The appeal opportunity was lost permanently. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows how important deadlines are in employment disputes. If you're involved in a workplace grievance or legal case, make sure your attorney stays organized and meets all deadlines. Also, if you change addresses during a case, immediately notify all relevant agencies and courts. Missing deadlines—even for seemingly reasonable reasons—can end your case permanently, regardless of how strong your original complaint might have been.