Can they fire you for no reason? (employers, reputation, job)

[Élan vital]

Sounds like you had personal issues with her anyway. If you had proof and documentation that her actions indeed caused a detriment to your business then she should have been terminted regardless of "at will" or "right to work" laws.
Why did you feel the need to bring personal issues into it? Perhaps because most employers in fact have more personal than business related issues with an employee they decide needs to be fired. Hence the reason employees need protection from employers such as yourself.

Originally Posted by sskkc

Recently at a family meeting, it was brought up that I was unfairly "gunning" for someone's job because I didn't like her - let's call her Cara. Despite telling them MY reasons, my SIL insists that this girl (who she has befriended since Cara was hired) had done NOTHING wrong, that it was MY error, not Cara's. Cara had claimed to my gullible SIL that my dh found her attractive and that he flirted with her... this must be the reason I want her fired. Apparently, I am a jealous woman.

Truth washes out in the end... while the error she made previously (and blamed on ME) cost the company untold amounts of FUTURE (and therefore unproven) amounts of money, hiding paperwork rather than finishing it and sending it out has cost the company $26k... this month! (And that's just the paperwork that was accidentally FOUND, in a banker's box, underneath a stack of other banker's boxes, ready to go to long term storage... no way it got there accidentally).

Now, this person should've been fired AT WILL the first time. But due to my dh's family's insistence that I provide DOCUMENTED proof, the company took the hit. Actually, my FIL (a fair minded man) has personally taken on the hit, as it was his final decision to not fire this girl after our last family meeting.

My SIL sent out an email asking if I am "happy that she won't be able to feed her children now"? I replied that if she was unable to provide for her kids, then perhaps she should seek public assistance... on welfare, she won't be expected to work, and she won't cost anyone ELSE $$.

Do I sound bitter? Well, the "little error" she made caused a projected loss of $10 million a year, for which I was to receive 33% for the first year for putting the deal together, and 5% each year after. Yeah, I'm a little bitter about it.

I totally support "at will" employment, and probably always will!

[sskkc]

I did have the proof (but not the entire chain of documentation - I'm in a different state and sent the papers to her by FEDEX, never suspecting that one of our office girls would hide paperwork she didn't feel like doing), and I didn't make it personal... she did when confronted.

I knew her claims were BS and wasn't concerned by them. The fact is that she didn't make the claims against my dh to anyone but the SIL who works for the company part time until after she was exposed. It all happened a week before our scheduled big meeting (family business). At the end of the meeting, it was determined that she need to be fired - despite my SIL's (her friend) opposition. When my in-laws went back home and she was called in and another SIL was telling her she was going to be let go ... this is the moment she decides to share her suspicions of my "jealousy issues" with the entire family... just to throw out some background info, we live in a different state and this "flirting" was supposedly done over the phone.

I just talked to my other SIL today who informed me that "Cara" has threatened a sexual harassment lawsuit now, against the office manager - a man who took her side when she threatened us. She claims now that he "set her up". I wonder who she will blame next week?

What goes around, comes around.

[Huckleberry3911948]

employment at will its the new rule. it stinks. americans hate unions, they think the government and corporations will treat them fairly if they are good employees.
not so.

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

employment at will its the new rule. it stinks. americans hate unions, they think the government and corporations will treat them fairly if they are good employees.
not so.

I agree. We've just gone through eight years of giving business pretty much everything they want and, we're now having the worst recession since the Great Depression.

So obviously ... it's not working.

It's time to do something for the workers.

[Asheville Native]

Yep, NC is an 'at will' state, and anyone can be fired for any reason, or no reason.

[Greatday]

Originally Posted by sheri257

I agree. We've just gone through eight years of giving business pretty much everything they want and, we're now having the worst recession since the Great Depression.

So obviously ... it's not working.

It's time to do something for the workers.

Arizona has been a right to work state since Statehood.

Works just fine

[tangram]

Wow! If I was that manager's manager/owner/director I would have to think about how a new manager walks in and who fires good new hires for old buddies is going to do in my environment and destroy morale with current good employees.

One word: Karma!

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by Greatday

Arizona has been a right to work state since Statehood.

Works just fine

Yeah, Arizona is doing great. Worst unemployment rate since 1982.

Maybe you haven't noticed but we having the worst recession since the Great Depression.

The point is that giving business everything they want hasn't done much for this country, much less the average worker ... who is totally screwed.

[Jackyfrost01]

Originally Posted by DreamWeavin

I'm not artsyguy, but I can answer for myself in that yes I have been a business owner in a state that allowed you to fire someone for no good reason. I,however do not believe in the law. I do believe in giving someone a warning and addressing the issue first. If after speaking with the employee, giving them fair warning and a chance to improve; things did not improve-then and only then did I terminate employment.

What about in cases where money is tight and you need to cut back on staff? Thats not really some they can improve on. Its also not something the employee can prove the employer is really being truthful about and makes total sense.

As such, it may become the standard answer/reason an employer gives to save someone's feelings or to not have to discuss the matter further (assuming they are the sensitive types).

[Jackyfrost01]

Originally Posted by MommyV

So NC is a right to work state, but there was no reason given for the termination except for that it was OK because it was during the initial probationary period of 90 days (87th day). But according to NC law, there is no exception for the probationary period. Were they allowed to do this? I'm not an advocate of civil lawsuits, but is it worth discussing with an attorney?

Cold as it sounds I think at any time before the probationary time is up they can say "We don't need ya after all. Bye".

Whats the point of a probationary period if it has the same rules as regular employment?