What can I do if I was fired under false pretenses?
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What can I do if I was fired under false pretenses?
My supervisor said that he saw marijuana in my desk but that’s not true..
Asked on July 21, 2015 under Employment Labor Law, New York
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
If you did not have a written employment contract, you were an employee at will, which means you could be fired at any time, for any reason whatsoever--even incorrect or false reasons. So in a sense, there are no "false pretenses" for firing--any reason, or no reason at all (e.g. the supervisor simply had a bad day and wanted to hurt someone) is legal.
If they try to deny you unemployment benefits by claiming you were fired "for cause" (e.g. drugs) when you believe that is wrong, you do have the right to contest your employer's claim before the UI board.
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