Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: What constitutes a “failure to follow instructions?” If someone missed a marking on a container, could that be a “failure to follow instructions?” A: It depends on whether noting the marking on a container was a part of the instructions. In the federal civil service, a charge such as “failure to follow instructions” may be proved by evidence of what the instructions stated along with evidence that the employee failed…