What to do if I overheard my HR manager on his business phone at the office telling a mutual friend that I would be getting fired?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if I overheard my HR manager on his business phone at the office telling a mutual friend that I would be getting fired?
And the reasons behind it. The friend does not work for our company. Therefore they should not be discussing me or my employment status at all. This friend has gone and put this information out in the public. Is this a violation of my privacy? At this point I have not been informed of a termination. This was yesterday. I am so upset I don’t know what to do. Is there anything I can do about this situation? I informed the job that the friend’s son was stealing and wrote a statement to this fact. Now they are saying I had something to do with it which is not or have ever been the case.
Asked on November 29, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, Mississippi
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
First of all, the information that an employee is being fired is not confidential: an employer may legally tell anyone it likes, including before the employee is told. It's unprofessional to do this, but legal.
Second, if you do not have an employment contract, you are an employee at will, and may be fired at any time, for any reason--even an unfair or incorrect reason. So there is likely nothing you can do about the coming termination.
However, if false factual information is being told to others about you--i.e. the employer is saying that you stole, when you did not--that may be defamation, and you may have a legal claim for the damage to your reputation. If you believe this is or may be the case, you should speak with a personal injury attorney.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.