Can my employer require that I sign a write-up in order to dispute it?
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Can my employer require that I sign a write-up in order to dispute it?
My employer wrote me up as a no call no show for a shift. On a Thursday I was out sick and she was aware. I ended up in the urgent care that Friday. All paperwork was offered to be faxed over to her but she ignored my message. My following shift she wrote me up stating that I hadn’t given adequate notice to call off. My position is per diem, and I was told upon hire I am not required to take any shift that is provided. With that being said, I have gone to every shift provided aside from a situation where I had the flu and this instance. I am trying to dispute this write up as I have a doctors note but my boss is saying that I have to sign the write-up in order to dispute it. Can they make me sign this paperwork when I do not agree with it?
Asked on May 25, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, Florida
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
Unless this action in some way violates the terms of an employment contract or union agreement, your employer can mandate that you sign a write-up before you can dispute it. The fact is that a company can set the conditions of the workplace much as it sees fit (absent some form of legally actionable discrimination). This also applies to doctor's notes; a business can have a policy whereby suchnotes are not binding on them so they need not be accepted. At this point, you can either accept the situation and sign the write-up or refuse but risk termination. In fact, in an "at will" employment relationship, a worker can be dismissed for any reason or no reason at all, with or without notice.
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