What to do if you are unfairly terminated by your employer?
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What to do if you are unfairly terminated by your employer?
My mother worked for a pharmacy company for about 22 years. She was recently let go by loss prevention because she found an iPhone but returned it to the owner a day later. Is this fair?
Asked on March 31, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, Florida
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
"Fair" and "legal" are, unfortunately, two entirely different things. Is what you describe fair? No, at least not from what you write. But is it legal? Probably. Unless your mother had an employment contract (or was covered by a union agreement) which protected her employment, limited the grounds or reasons to fire her, or set forth some disciplinary procedure which had to be followed, your mother was an employee at will. As an employee at will, she could be fired at any time, for any reason--including returning an iPhone a day late.
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