Can I be fired for taking a counterfeit $50 bill?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can I be fired for taking a counterfeit $50 bill?
Before this, I had asked the Regional Manager if he could break a $5 bill but he had me do it instead. A few weeks later, I was working the drive-thru and a man came up and paid for his order with a $50. It was a late night, I was trying to push the line along and I didn’t look all too hard at the bill or the man. It was counterfeit and my managers are giving me an ultimatum, either I cash my check and swap a legal $50 for the counterfeit one or I’m fired. I am only able to work with them for another 2 months, however I would prefer to have a favourable recommendation for when I move and I doubt I would get it if I was fired.
Asked on June 12, 2015 under Employment Labor Law, Texas
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
Yes you can. That is unless you have an employment contract or union agreement that says otherwise. Also, if your firing consititutes legally actionable discrimination, then that would be a violation of law. The fact is that most employment relationships are "at will". This means that an employer can pretty much set the terms and conditons of employment much it sees fit. And that would include having you replace the counterfeit bill. While not fair, it is legal.
Note: If your employer took an automatic payroll deduction for this, that woud be a violation.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.