Can an employer make me work a shift because the scheduled employee called out?
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Can an employer make me work a shift because the scheduled employee called out?
I have an hourly job with a vet. I recently came back to work from an doctor approved medical absence. My schedule was to work on Saturday afternoon, just before going in my boss told me I need to work on Sunday because another employee called out. Will I loose my job if I don’t cover the shift?
Asked on August 17, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, Texas
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 4 years ago | Contributor
The fact is that unless you have an employment contract or union agreement that states otherwise, your employer can set the conditions of work much as it sees fit (absent some form of legally actionable discrimination). This means that your employer can schedule you for any shift that is deems necessary. If you fail to work as requested, you can be disciplined up to and including termination. In fact, you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all, with or without notice.
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