can they fire me without reason?

Question

I currrently work at sally beauty supply since august and was working 25 hours a week. i got a second job on jan 1st and my boss was okay with it. the reason why i got a second job is because i am in debt and i need a second job to survive. well my second job now i am currently working 30 hours and going to school full time and that means i only have time to work at sallys 5 to 10 hours a week untill school gets out in may. now my boss tells me that i have to work 25 hours or they are just going ot assume im quitting my job. is that legal? i dont want to quit i just cant work more hours untill school is over in may. i tried explaining this to here and she says i have to work 25 hours. please what should i do? should i quit so i cant get fired.

I live in IL

Answer 1

In a nutshell, yes. Most employment is at-will, unless you signed a contract stating otherwise. What this means is that you are free to quit at any time for any reason or no reason at all. The downside is that your employer can lay you off or fire you at any time for any reason or no reason at all.

Answer 2

I can see where your boss is coming from no offense.

It sounds like you kind of screwed your first boss. When you take a second job you should always give the first boss the priority of your time and make it affect the job as little as possible. And you were right to discuss it before looking for that second job. If you are biding your time with the first job until you find something else, that's fine too but when something better comes along, you either have to quit or everyone agrees to change your schedule to change it as a priority for you. It seems like you were doing this without admitting it. But you are trying to make everyone bend to what you need and want, without regard for everyone in your work life.

I do understand the need to work alot. When I first got out of college I had...get this...2 full time jobs and 1 part time...I didn't know whether I was coming or going. But I had to be respectful that when I got the first job, that schedule and number of hours was golden...I wanted them to know I was reliable, even if I couldnt come in unexpectedly to cover other people.

See the flipside of your situation is that even though your job is part time, and your boss is the big guy and you are the little guy in the situation...they hired you and spent money and time to train you, thinking you would work a certain amount...and you have other people whose schedules are affected by your ability or inability to work. Maybe they don't WANT to cover you until school's out. Maybe they CAN'T? I am aware of who works at Sally as a rule. It is entry level retail and often (not all the time) these jobs are filled by moms who need a little extra money, working around their kids lives, and maybe all they want is to buy their groceries (they aren't going to give any job that much importance as home)...and students who have classes to work around and their own crazy schedule, often changes every semester. As a manager, it is hard to keep on top of scheduling employees who have other things going on. So I can see where they want you to at least keep the arrangement that they hired you to work. Another thing that the fewer employees work there...the smoother everything goes.

It boils down to...maybe you aren't helping them enough to give you a slot on the team anymore...and if you can only give them a few hours and you were hired to work 25, that sounds like a breach of the arrangement YOU made.

Answer 3

My thoughts are that you took the job at Sally and promised to do their job. They haven't changed what they expect of you so you need to either do what you promised or tell them you are unable to do so. It's a shame they can't work with you because you are working to get ahead in life but they must need the 25 hours. If you get fired and you have to put that job on your resume it will look bad for you. Do the honorable thing and pick one job or the other. A little advice-Never burn any bridges. You never know who you will run into later in life. Tell them how much you appreciated the job, etc. etc. More advice-In life you will have lots of jobs. You owe allegiance to your employer but that doesn't mean you don't move on to bigger and better things. I would offer to work what you can until they find someone else and that you would be glad to fill in if they should need you in the future. Smile, shake hands and leave.

Answer 4

It depends on where you live -- I learned after being unjustly fired that New Jersey, where I live, is a 'no fault' state -- so you can be fired for any reason (or none) at any time.

5-10 hours a week probably barely pays the gas it takes you to get to and from the place. I suggest offering to resign in good standing, and asking them to keep your name to call if they need coverage for someone who is ill, for example.

Use that time to get more productive with your studies, and to perhaps engage in some cost-saving activities, like cooking meals for the week that you pack up in single servings so you don't have to get take-out.

Answer 5

most companies have a document you sign once you are hired that states that your employment can be terminated at any time for any reason. if you signed this then you are probably out of luck. take it up with your cities legal aid office where you can get free or severely discounted legal advice.

Answer 6

Unless you have a contract with the company yourself or are covered by a union contract then yes they can fire you at anytime.

Answer 7

That is perfectly legal in about 45 states. You don't say what state you are in though.

Answer 8

only if you don't show up at all can they assume you are quitting. I say quit because your boss sounds like a jerk... good luck...

Answer 9

Unless you have a contract , jobs are considered 'at will' . .
Meaning, you or they can terminate the job at any time.