can an employeer fire another employee for off job arguing?

Question

i recived an harrassing phone call message from someone i work with. i returned their call,and said mean things back

Answer 1

That really depends on the state you live in. I live in Arizona, and in Arizona, the answer would be yes. Arizona is a right to work state, meaning- your employment can be terminated at any time, for any reason (except discrimination). Look on google for your states specific employment laws, more then likley I would think most employers wouldn't deal with an off the clock issue, however stranger things have happened.

Answer 2

It doesn't matter where the incident happened, if it effects your work, or the work of others, you can be disciplined for it, up to and including termination.

Your employer has a responsibility to create a safe environment. If two employees are not getting along, he needs to resolve it.

Although firing seems extreme, I don't have all the details to make that decision. However, based on what you said, the employer would have had reason to believe this would effect the work environment.

Answer 3

Teekno is exacty correct in his descriptino of the defference between right-to-work and at-will emplyement.

Use common sense people - why would "right to work" mean you can be fired for anything?

At will employment means you can be let go for any or no reason at any time, and you can quit for any or no reason at anytime. Both sides assume the risk the other might terminate the agreement.

Since most if not all states have provisins for both right to work and at will emplyement, it is easy to see why the two might get mixed up. But they are not the same.

Answer 4

Obviously, you should not have retaliated against your co-worker and instead saved the harrassing phone message and reported it to HR, then allowed them to settle it with your co-worker.

With that being said, if you do have the message saved, I would definitely still give a COPY of it to HR (and save the original).

If nothing else, the co-worker will get in trouble for the harrasing message and you can threaten your former employer with going to an attorney, labor board, etc. for unlawful termination due to harrassment and a hostile work environment.

That may or may not work, but if nothing else, your former co-worker will probably lose their job as well.

Revenge is sweet and I recommend you take full advantage of it.

Answer 5

As most everyone else has said...yes depending at what state you are in, they can fire you for all most any reason ( with the exception of race, religion, sex, etc) as again everyone has already said. I would like to add that while they can fire you for most any reason, you still have the right to file for unemployment and you have the right to a hearing for said benefits. So while they fire you for what seems to be an invalid reason you are still entitled to certain benefits until you can find other employment. They can also deny this benefit until you ask for a hearing at which time a mediator will hear your case.

Answer 6

Teekno is confused. I have lived in two "right to work" States. Even the employers call it that. They can fire you for any or no reason except those covered under Federal guidelines. Has nothing to do with unions except most of these States really fight them. I think it would be hard not to take any off-job problems out of the workplace.

Answer 7

Well, grips is almost right. The term he's looking for is "At-Will Employment."

"Right-to-work" refers to those states where an employee has the right to refuse to join a union. It's a provision of the Taft-Hartley Act. People who are not very familiar with labor law sometimes get the terms confused.

Answer 8

In most state, an employer can terminate an employee for any reason other than sex, race, color, creed, etc. It called "Right to Work" states. If this behavior affects the workplace, yea they can probably fire you------but that probably won't be the reason they give for terminating you.

Answer 9

Grips is correct.....I am a small business employer and I have on several occasions fired employees for reason OTHER than what THEY were told.
And it's actually "Employment At Will".

Answer 10

As long as the arguement did not take place at work it has nothing to do with the job or the people who own the place. I would leave the other person alone no matter what. if they get violent or threaten you then you need to make our boss aware of the situation and maybe get a restraining order.