Can I sue a company for firing me because of remarks that I made while off the clock?
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Can I sue a company for firing me because of remarks that I made while off the clock?
I had worked there for just under 15 years with no verbals or write-ups on my record. It has since come to light that the store manager has come out as gay. This retail store has a Christian foundation and has recently gone nuts trying to show they aren’t prejudiced
Asked on January 15, 2013 under Employment Labor Law, Mississippi
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
An employer can fire an employee for any reason or no reason at all. The fact is that, an employer can mandate just about whatever it wants with respect to employee behavior. At least in an "at will" employment relationship. Accordingly, an employer can dictate the terms and conditions of employment as it sees fit or deems necessary; this includes what an employee does off the clock. For their part, an employee can choose to work for an employer or not.
Exceptions to this would be if this violates existing company policy, an employment contract or a union agreement. Additionally, your termination must not be due to actionable discrimination on your employer's part (which it does not appear to be).
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