QUESTION
i was fired due do another employees false accusations.
Asked on Dec 05th, 2015 on Wrongful Termination - North Carolina
More details to this question:
I was wrongfully fired ans was slandered by a fellow employee. My corporate office didn't follow proper protocol. They only did one day of minimal investigation. I was fired the next day. She lied and said I choked her. I have NEVER hit or assaulted a woman in my life! The HR rep in charge of the case did minimal work due to the fact that he starts vacation on Monday. Friday i was made aware of these accusations and then fired on Saturday. I have medical issues (seizures caused by stress) that have been amplified do to these accusations. I need suggestions on what to do next.
1 ANSWER
4 Awards
This is an employment-at-will state which means you can be fired for any reason and there is no liability for the employer unless there is an unlawful motive for the action taken against you. If you can be fired for any reason, then the employer can do anything short of firing to you for any reason. Additionally, if the employment is at-will, the employer is not required to follow policy (protocol) and is not required to investigate at all.
There are generally only two forms of unlawful motives: unlawful discrimination or unlawful retaliation. Discrimination in employment is unlawful if it is due to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability or age 40 or older. Retaliation in employment is unlawful if you engaged in one of a handful of "legally protected" activities and were fired for engaging in that activity. If either of these was the motive for the termination, then you may have a claim for unlawful termination.
l recommend filing for unemployment benefits and that you start looking for a job as soon as possible.
Answered on Dec 06th, 2015 at 5:11 AM
I am an experienced attorney focusing on employment law in North Carolina and Tennessee. This post/response is not meant to constitute legal advice.