Canmy employerfire me and not another person for the same exact thing?

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Canmy employerfire me and not another person for the same exact thing?

I was a manager and got fired for having someone in the store when the doors were locked. However, the other manager does it also and I thought it was OK. They all know it but I got fired and she still has her job.

Asked on March 4, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, West Virginia

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 12 years ago | Contributor

If you don't have an employment contract, you are an employee at will. As an employee at will, you may be fired at any reason--including because you did something which other people did, too. Companies are also under no obligation to treat employees fairly or consistently--so again, they can terminate person A for  something which person B also did, without terminating person B--with one exception: an employer may not harass or discriminate in employment on the basis of a protected characteristic, such as an employee's age over 40, sex, religion, race, or disability. If you feel the differential treatment was due to a factor like one of these, speak with an employment law attorney to discuss your rights; otherwise, however, the employer could almost certainly terminate you but not the other manager.


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