Can a person be fired from a job if they are injured in an auto accident but cant return for some time?

Question

My sister was in an accident in Utah and was told her job would not be affected, two weeks later she was fired because they didn't know how long she'd be gone. Is the legal?

Answer 1

No it is not legal, but only if the following criteria were not met
1) She was not employed by a company that consisted of 50 employees or more.
2) Utah is NOT an "at will state" where they don't need to justify her firing.
IF the company has 50+ employees, and
a) She has not been out sick for an extended period of time in the last 12 months as well as
b) She has been with the company for over 12 months
she would be covered by the Federally mandated Family Medical Leave Act of 1993.

Answer 2

I would DEFINITELY stop to help. A few years ago, I witnessed a semi jackknife and swerve off the highway, throwing the driver through the windshield onto the grass on the side of the road. By the time I got there, others had stopped and were administering first aid, but I stopped as well, since I had seen the accident. I waited for the police and told them what happened, but if I had been the only one there, I would have tried to help as best I could and called 911. I remember the story about the lady that got stabbed while a crowd of people watched, and that was when I vowed that no matter what, if I saw someone who needed help, I was going to do something, even if it was just to call for help and wait for them to get there. I can't imagine letting someone die because I "didn't want to get involved"; they're human beings, living creatures created by God, just like you are. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm judging you, I'm trying really hard not to, I just don't understand your reasoning here, and I'm trying to make sense of it.

Answer 3

Actually Utah IS an employment at-will state where at-will employees may be terminated for any reason.