In re the Appeal of Termination of Employment of Wells

**Employment Appeal Dismissed for Skipping Required Steps** A Cherokee Nation employee named Wells was terminated from their job and challenged the firing by appealing directly to the Cherokee Nation's Judicial Appeals Tribunal. Wells claimed the termination was wrongful and sought to have the employment decision overturned. The court dismissed Wells' case entirely. The reason was procedural: Wells had skipped a required step in the appeals process. Under Cherokee Nation law, employees must first appeal their termination to the Employee Appeals Board before they can take their case to the higher Judicial Appeals Tribunal. Since Wells went straight to the tribunal without first going through the Employee Appeals Board, the court ruled it had no authority to hear the case. **What This Means for Workers:** This case highlights the critical importance of following proper procedures when challenging workplace decisions. Many employers and government entities have specific steps employees must take when appealing terminations or other employment actions. Skipping steps—even if you believe your case has merit—can result in your entire case being thrown out before it's even heard. Workers should carefully review their employee handbook or personnel policies to understand the exact appeal process and follow each required step in order.