Can I be fired after being falsely accused of theft?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can I be fired after being falsely accused of theft?
I was accused of stealing a cell phone, questioned for 4 hours by the security and had the police called on me – all with insufficient evidence. After the police were unable to charge me I was suspended and fired a week later.
Asked on July 16, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Arizona
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Unfortunately, yes you can be fired for this. In fact in an "at will" employment relationship you can be fired for no reason at all. Things would be different if you had a union agreement, employment contract or there was company policy to the contrary; or if this situation arose due to some form of workplace discrimination. The fact is that unless one of the above applies, an employer can set the terms of employment at their own discretion. While seemingly unfair, it is the law.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.