Can you get fired from your job due to a natural disaster?
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Can you get fired from your job due to a natural disaster?
A hurricane was due to arrive as a category 5, so the Governor asked that the roads be cleared 5 pm; my shift started at 11:30 pm. The winds were
heavy and phone lines were down. Once the telephone lines became available, I called in to my job to report my call out. I returned to my normal shift but was terminated.
Asked on March 4, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Florida
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Believe it or not, even if a state of emergency was declared, your ex-employer could have required you to come in. This is true unless the terms of an employment contract or union agreement provided otherwise. The fact is that, in an "at will" employment relationship, a worker can be fired for any reason or no reason at all, with or without notice. Bottom line, a company can set the conditions of employment much as it sees fit (absent some form of legally actionable discrimination).
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