Can an employee be terminated because of a past criminal record?

Question Details:

I know someone who has been an employee of of a company and they were terminated because they have a background. But this person has been working there since April and had fingerprints done. Word around the district was that they were firing people who had backgrounds no matter what. So all of a sudden today my friend gets fired because she has a background.

Asked 11/17/2009 under Employment and Labor | 259 View(s) | More Legal Topics

Are you an attorney? Sign up to answer this question.

Employment and Labor Law Answers

Most employment relationships are what is known as "at will".  This means that an employee can work for an employer, or not, their choice.  In turn, the employer can hire or fire someone for any reason or no reason whatsoever.

The only exceptions to this are: 1) If there is an employment agreement or contract (which governs termination); 2) If there is a union or collective bargaining agreement (which governs termination); 3) If there is an employee handbook or other official policy statement (which governs termination); 4) If discrimination is a factor (there can be no termination for reasons of race, religion, age, disability, sex, national origin).

Related Employment and Labor Questions

Didn't find your answer? Ask.

  Top Ranking Attorneys

Sign Up Today! Are you a lawyer?
Want to be featured here?
Sign up for a free profile and get started today! Click Here

More Questions Like This...

AttorneyPages.com