accused of something i didn't do

I just got fired today. i worked in a fueling company as a driver. i started working there about 6months ago.
Worked hard and did everything i was suppose todo i got along with my other co- workers and my manager.. i work the 3rd shift and within the time i started working there i was never late never missed a day or was never counsoled on anything severe except for one thing my driving there was one incident where some one called and complain my manager told me about it and i rectified it.... it wasn't nothing official I took it more like a comment and that was enough for me to fix the problem... one night in august i had a real busy night and it totally slip my mind to turn in the keys of the truck i was driving and didn't realize it until i got home i live 45min away so going back was not an option for me and i honestly didn't think much of it because there are spare keys in the office so i just returned them when i got back to work the next evening. I didn't hear a complaint or any comments where said to me by my manager. So i didn't think i had done anything to jeapordice my job. until a last week ago i was suppose to work on a sunday which i did but my partner which is the senior man of all the drivers didn't go to work but he asked me to clock him in.... of coarse wasn't going to do it .. but i didn't want him.. to take it personal so i just told him yeah... but once i was home he called me if i had clock him in and out i told him no because i forgot....
the next day i notice he was acting the same he removed me from his route and today i got a call from my manager to go in early he then accused me of stealing fuel from the truck..
I know that it was the senior driver who must of said something about me and when I told the manager that... there was way to document that i didnt'take the fuel he told there wasn't and i also asked if he had asked the other employees if they had taken the fuel he said they said no when the senior man knew there where extra keys and where they we're.. in the office and he was working that night also around the sametime i had left the job
I just say if this was a reason for termination why wait a month after the incident. especially if the incident wasn't spoken off..before

1 answer  |  asked Sep 11, 2002 7:35 PM [EST]  |  applies to Texas

Answers (1)

Margaret A. Harris
Texas Law No Help

You don't mention whether you are in a union. If you are, you need to go to the union and file a grievance and that may very well help you get your job back. That's one of the biggest advantages of unions -- because the employer has to have a good reason to fire an employee and the employee can fight the employer's decision -- and win. If you are not in a union, Texas law does not give you any rights.

Texas law helps the employers who want to be able to fire employees whenever they want. The employees hardly have any rights at all. The law in this State allows employers to fire people for a good reason (say employee X is constantly late, for example), or for a bad reason (like your co-worker lying about you), or no reason at all (like the manager doesn't like the color of the employee's shoes that day or something equally ridiculous). This is called "at will" and means that the employer can fire you at will. When this happens, there is no court that will allow the employee to sue the employer. It doesn't matter how unfair the termination.

Check out the web site www.workplacefairness.org.

posted by Margaret A. Harris  |  Sep 12, 2002 09:25 AM [EST]

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