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Maria Johnson did not see it coming.

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Twenty-two years at the same company, she knew the name of every spouse, the birthday of every child.

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Then a new boss, half her age, slid a manila envelope across a polished table and said the company was going

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in a different direction.

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Twenty-two years erased in thirty seconds.

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As she walked to her car, one question echoed in the sudden silence: Can they just do that?

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The honest answer is unsettling.

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Often, yes, but not always.

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And the difference between an unfair firing and an illegal one is the most important thing you will ever learn.