Can my boss legally fire me over this?

Question

I was in the mens restroom of my company and had just entered a stall. I had pulled my pants down to get ready to do my business, when I noticed that whoever used the toilet before me had sprinkled it. So I grabbed a piece of toilet paper and started cleaning the seat, struggling to hold everything in, as I really had to go bad.

The stall door flung open, crashing against the wall. Even though I had latched it, the mechanism appeared to had failed. Anyways, this startled me and I lost control of my bowels. Worst yet, I had eaten something that didn't agree with my system, so it was a runny movement, complete with gas pockets. The result was that it splattered the person who'd flung the door open. That person happend to be my boss.

Needless to say, he's ticked about the incident.

Answer 1

Is that a real story or what, if so no you can't be fired for that. Pretty gross their fault for opening a door that was closed ever hear of looking for feet first? Got what they deserved, I'm laughing and grossed out at the same time.

Answer 2

If your in a non-union place of employment he can do whatever he wants to do, most likely make your work day miserable for quite a while. If it's a union job then you need not worry if it was a true accident and your sincere about the incident. But for those Doubting Thomas's out there...this did happen on a different circumstance...a friend of mine had just meet a girl and wanted to impress her at Jamboree In The Hills. He had been drinking all day and needed to go relieve himself. He went into a porta john and with his pants around his ankles and his balance off from the alcohol consumption, he pitched forward, he had forgotten to latch the door so there was nothing to stop him from tumbling out of the porta john. He was just starting to relieve himself when he went out the door, head down, butt up and he messed all over the girl. Needless to say she didn't come back around the camper all week. He was very sorry, too.

Answer 3

Unfortunately, if you are in the United States you are an employment at will employee and can be fired for any reason or none at all -- except for a legally protected reason: race, religion, national origin, age, disability, color, labor union activity, sometimes whistleblowing. And anything that would be a proxy for those (sometimes language, etc., unles a matter of business necessity).

I do not think that your accident can be attributed to a disability, but you could try: it might get you a couple of weeks' pay.

In some states there may be other protections (viz. sexual orientation); Montana has more protections than most.

Some of the other, uninformed answers are more amusing than helpful.

Answer 4

Nope. There is no way he can even lay a finger on you. Rest assured on this. The court will just classify it as a rather foul accident. (heck, this 'case' may not even reach the court). I would now rather worry about appeasing your boss, since there is all sorts of methods he can use to get back at you. He's the boss and your the employee (go figure); even later nights and piles of work might happen if you don't calm him down. Maybe even bootlicking him might be a good investment for your retainment of your career.

Answer 5

I thought you said the mechanism failed and the door swung open by itself?

If you were bending over, with your pants down around your ankles wiping up peepee on the seat, how did the door swing wide open without hitting you on the butt?

You biggest problem is getting the story right. If only you COULD do this to your boss....what a fantasy!

Try again.

Answer 6

1 part to dislike about conservatives in power is that they give all the authority to companies (who by the constitution should have none)
Now to answer the question- can he fire you
The answer is yes!
Do you have any legal recourse-
If you work in a right to work, or an employment at will state (this covers all but about 16) you have NO LEGAL RECOURSE- you can not sue over the termination- you are not even entitled to unemployment unless you can prove it happened because of a valid medical condition that the boss knew about!
NOW for the other states-
you have some legal recourse if you can prove his actions were in some way discriminatory, otherwise you have to settle for unemployment!

Answer 7

It depends on where you live - logic does not apply to legal protections (in the United States, most employment is "at will"; employees may be fired for no reason at all). If you are in the US, and you have a clever attorney who can tie your unpleasant experience to a medical disorder, if is possible you may be able to seek redress.

You may be in luck; perhaps an unethical attorney will read your question and solicit your business.

Answer 8

In most states, which are employment at will, you can be fired for any reason not protected by Federal Law, such as the ADA, or discrimination etc..

If the story is true, which i doubt, and you work in an employment at will state, you could be fired for the incident, without legal recourse.

Answer 9

In all most every state in the US anyone can be fired for any reason except race or religion or age. You can be fired for being gay or having a pimple, legally.

If you crapped on your boss, you're gonna have a hard time convincing him that it was an accident.

Answer 10

im sure he can, however he probably will invent something more realistic to fire you over, having to stand in front of the labor board and relate that story to them would be too embarrassing for him so he will find another reason. If you havent the decency to be embarrassed to write what you wrote Im sure there are plenty of things that he would have to use against you.