Could I get in legal trouble for telling parents about a potential risk? Is there anything I can legally do to make my employer disclose the problem?
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Could I get in legal trouble for telling parents about a potential risk? Is there anything I can legally do to make my employer disclose the problem?
I would at a gym in child care. For the summer they opened up an outside area for the kids. While I was working one of the kids told me there they saw a black widow spider. Sure enough I found 7 black widows that day. (I took the kids inside) They have since “cleaned up” but are still allowing the kids to play in the structure that had the majority of spiders in it. I also feel like the are trying to “shut me up” about the spiders because they don’t want the parents to know. I know that there are more out there and I would like to know the rights of the parents.
Asked on June 23, 2009 under Business Law, California
Answers:
J.M.A., Member in Good Standing of the Connecticut Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
I am a lawyer in CT and practice in this area. If you tell the parents and the parents tell the day care they heard about it from you, then you can and probably will get fired. You are an at will employee and can be fired for good bad or no reason at all. you do not have first amendment rights here becasue you are not dealing with the state. I suggest that you do your job or start looking for another one if you want to tell the parents about this.
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