Can i sue my former employer?
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Can i sue my former employer?
I was fired for stealing from a former employer. The employer has disclosed information to people who are not on a need to know basis why I was fired. People who did not have any relation to my job.
Asked on April 24, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Ohio
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
As long as the information disseminated was true, you have no legal recourse here. As a general rule there is no right to privacy in such matters. That having been said, you would have a claim if such a disclosure violated a term of an applicable union agreement, employment contract or non-disclosure agreement or in some way constituted some form of legally actionable discrimination.
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
No, you cannot sue the for disclosing this, unless they signed a confidentiality or nondisclosure agreement, which they violated--in which case, you could sue for breach of contract. Otherwise, there is no law prohibiting a person or business from disclosing true information which they know, such as the reason for your firing. It does not matter if the information is embarrassing to you, or if the people they disclose it to do not "need to know"--this information is not protected or private in a legally enforceable way.
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