Is this legal?

Silpat
Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:32:14 +0000

If you haven’t already, you may want to run a search on “at-will” employment. The gist of it is that the employer may terminate an employee for any or no reason, as long as the employer doesn’t discriminate (age, sex, race, etc.) or fire someone for refusing to do an illegal act or fail to follow its own written policy for terminations. Most, but not all, states permit this.

As for the owners, the “no real reason” to which you refer may be that profits are down and they’re attempting to reduce expenses. The alternative may be to raise prices, which could cause even greater customer backlash than the negative press. The marketplace doesn’t always reward ethical behavior, much less sentiment.

If this sounds harsh, I’m sorry. It’s not that I am unsympathetic. I recall very clearly how angry I felt when my dad was terminated at age 60. He was an honorable man who refused to look the other way, and it cost him his job. What dh and I took away from that event is that company loyalty is generally one-way. We believe in giving a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, but always remember that no company has our best interests at heart.

I hope things work out for your father.