after 11 years on my job I was let go for no reason. Is there anything I can do about this?

Question

I have worked on the same job for 11 years, always on time and always worked very hard. Today, I received a phone call from my boss telling me not to come in anymore & my check will be mailed to me. Is there anything I can do about this? After 11 years, can an employer let me go for no reason?

Answer 1

It depends on what state your job is in.

My state (I work in S.C.) is a "right to work" state. Companies can let you go for any reason.

Do some reasearch, but in many cases, businesses can let people go without explantation.

Answer 2

Okay here is the scope from a MBA OB/OD, yes an at-will employer can fire you without notice, but that does not mean without cause.

Here is how things will play out: you call and ask why, they may give you a list of reason or they may say that they will be presented in the unemployment hearing. If they do give you a list of reasons ask for them in writing, if they don’t be polite and don’t press the issue just hand up.

Now on then here is the big gotcha if your pervious employer chooses not to fight your unemployment and give the basic, we laid him off due to lack of sales, you may never know the true reason. On the bright side your unemployment is guaranteed through X number of weeks and you will also be eligible for any special training programs that the state may offer.

On the other hand your employer may choose to fight your unemployment, especially if your state seeks partial reimbursement for job retraining, and you will have a hearing. Before this hearing happens your pervious employer must provide both you and the state any and all records pertaining to your dismissal. Now is when you get to see just why you were let go. If you feel that you were unjustly fired you can then file a complaint that can lead to a jury trail so you better be ready for it.

Many of these types of sudden terminations are in fact a means of replacing someone old for someone new. In that case you might have a “protected age group” termination. Many states will allow you to not only claim damages and recoup your lost wages but will also let you sue for loss of future earnings.

In any case if the termination was found to be groundless your labor department will want to get to the heart of the matter so you have better be ready to protect yourself with an attorney. Yes, you do have rights in an at-will state but the process can be long and drawn out. Make sure that when you list them on your resume’ that you are not being attacked by them in the reference check. One way to do this is to have someone you know call and do a basic reference check for you. If they are untruthful get it on record, simply write down what was said, and get an attorney.

Answer 3

Come on? Your not telling us the whole ordeal here. Employers never fire anyone or let go of anyone for no reason. What ever the reason your thinking off, thats probably the reason why they let you go.

If you believe that you have been fired for reasons such as discrimination, religion, ethnicity, etc, then you might be able to do something about it. Talk to a lawyer and make sure you file a complaint with your local employee rights agency. In order to prevent lawsuits, companies usually keep employee records of bad behavior or performance. I'm sure they wrote down somewhere why they let you go. Request a letter of explanation as to why you were fired. If questionable, you at least have it in writing and hard to contradict otherwise.

Don't let this event slow you down. Get yourself together and start searching for another job. A better opportunity and life might be around the corner.

Good Luck.

Answer 4

In many states of USA, the labor laws are "at will" meaning an employer can let someone go at any time and not give any reason, and the employee can leave without giving any notice.

You can look up Internet for the rules for your state ... look for initials of state, Dept of Labor or DOL, and .gov

You can ask WHY.
They do not have to tell you why.

Years ago, employers used to do all kinds of resons why, then they got sued for libel, slander, etc. so nowadays reasons not usually on official paperwork.

You need to do your utmost to find out why.
Get a friend who you trust, who is not known to your employer.

Friend calls up ... I am with _____ some company name. ____ (your name) applied for a job with us & gave your name as his former employer. He did not know why you let him go. Can you tell us, or perhaps phrase it this way ... if you had another opening for the kind of work he did, would you rehire him? If not, can you tell us why?

ASAP visit your state unemployment compensation office.

Every employer pays taxes that provide for a fund that unemployed people can draw against while they are looking for another job. There is a ceiling on how long you are eligible to get this financial assistance, and you can also only get it in the time period from when you filled out their paperwork until you get next job.

You are entitled to this money. It is not a government hand out.

You tell them that you were let go for no reason, for nothing you did wrong. They will then contact the employer for confirmation. You see the tax rate the employer pays is based on number of employees they let go for no reason. You are not eligible if they let you go for a good reason.

So if they think they had a good reason to let you go, they will tell that to the unemployment compensation people, so that their tax rate not go up.

There is then a process for you to dispute this allegation. You need to dispute it, because it can hurt your future chances for getting a good job.

If you win the dispute, the employer tax rate will go through the ceiling. They know this, so they do not falsely give reasons for firing people, unless they got darn good evidence to support the claims.

Answer 5

I don't know where you are, but in my country, the Philippines, you can file a complaint for illegal or unjust termination. Also, the law in my country dictates that employees should be paid a separation pay, and cannot be terminated without justifiable reason. Your employer should be able to come up with a good reason to terminate you, and written memoranda that should have been issued to you at the time of whatever offense you had committed, should be presented. I am not a lawyer, however. I am speaking as a business owner.

Answer 6

No, assuming you are in the US and in an "at-will employment" state, your boss can let you go anytime without reason. All US states, except Montana follow this law.

There is nothing you can do about it.

According to the website below:
Employment at will is a legal concept referred to as the Doctrine of Employment at Will. It essentially means that, in the absence of employment contracts that indicate otherwise, employers generally may fire employees for any reasons, no reasons and even unfair reasons, as long as they are not illegal reasons.

Answer 7

I'm so sorry you were treated this way. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon and in most cases, it isn't illegal either. Most US companies employ "at will", meaning that either the employee or the company can terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without notice and with or without cause.

I would still call your HR person and ask about the reason for the termiantion. If it's a layoff, ask for a letter or something in writing that you can provide when you file for unemployment.

Good luck.

Answer 8

depends on a few things...
1. what state you live in. some states have laws that they can terminate employment "at-will" and you have the right to terminate your employment with them "at-will"...in those states, there isn't a lot you can do.
2. if they are terminating you for an un-just or discriminatory reason, you can go to your state's employment department for guidance.

i would find the reason why they terminated you. if it is because of overhead, lack of work, etc... you can get on unemployment. if they terminated you for a violation of a company policy, sometimes you can get unemployment benefits and sometimes you can't. once you find out the reason for the termination, you will want to immediately file and unemployment claim with your state's employment department.

hope that helps and good luck with finding a new job. :)

Answer 9

just make a call to your employer place a request to meet personally .ask him may i come to office if u permit.tell what will happen if you left job. general thing is dont beg -try some other job vigorously,post your resume attend online job interviews such a long experience with a single employer will prove your ability if you try u will get a job with a higher pay with in two week just try try try . . .

Answer 10

You now have a great opportunity to find a better job. Move forward with your life. Don't waste time, energy and money looking backward. Take the bull by the horns and take advantage of this golden opportunity.

Best wishes and good luck.