Can I be terminated for hearsay?

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Can I be terminated for hearsay?

I had an affair with a married co-worker for a year. His wife found out and I’m assuming to appease her and salvage what he could and I can understand that-to an extent he is telling my supervisor that I am harassing him. 90 of this alleged harassment is happening outside of work. The other alleged harassment is me just doing my job and going over to his department and just being in view of him I guess. Can they terminate me for something that supposedly happened outside of work and I am allowed to be informed of the details of what I’m actually being accused of all my supervisor said was there was harassment, didn’t say how or who exactly was being harassed. And one incident apparently involved a Facebook message being sent from a fictitious account to another co-workers wife claiming I was sleeping with her husband too, which her and her husband/my co-worker do not believe came from me And second, I made one complaint about someone throwing a firecracker at me in his department and the company’s owner’s response was to just stay out of his department. So he makes a claim of harassment which my supervisor did say was all hearsay and I get punished, when my safety at work becomes an issue, I get punished. I really do enjoy my job and would hate to leave the company, especially on bad terms. I’m sure everything puts them in a tricky spot legally. What are my rights?

Asked on October 8, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, Missouri

Answers:

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 4 years ago | Contributor

Do you have an employment contract or union agreement? If not, then you are an "at will" worker. This means that absent some form of legally actionable discrimination, your employer can set the conditions of the workplace much as it sees fit. Accordingly, you can be terminated for any reason or no reason at all, with or without notice.

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 4 years ago | Contributor

Do you have an employment contract or union agreement? If not, then you are an "at will" worker. This means that absent some form of legally actionable discrimination, your employer can set the conditions of the workplace much as it sees fit. Accordingly, you can be terminated for any reason or no reason at all, with or without notice.


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