What type of legal action do I need to take if I was falsely accused of stealing money?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

What type of legal action do I need to take if I was falsely accused of stealing money?

I was previously employed at a restaurant as a service trainer. I was terminated due to someone stealing money out of the register (I accidentally left my badge on screen). I was not the person that stole the money. What type of legal action do I need to take?

Asked on September 26, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Alaska

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 12 years ago | Contributor

1) Did you have an employment contract? If you did, and it provided certain grounds or processes to be terminated and you were terminated not in accordance with those terms, you may sue to enforce the contract and get your job back and/or monetary compensation.

2) If you don't have a contract, though, you are an employee at will, and therefore may be fired at any time, for any reason, even a mistaken reason. If this is the case, since  your employer could fire you just because he felt like it, he can fire you because he thought (incorrectly) that you stole money. You have, unfortunately, no entitlement to your job.

3) If the person/supervisor who fired you has told anyone else that you stole, and assuming that is not true, then that person may have committed defamation about you. Defamation is the public (so to any third parties) making of untrue factual statements about a person, which damages that person's reputation. If you think this may have happened, you should consult with a personal injury attorney.


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.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption