I was fired for following protocol...thinking of suing?

Question

I got fired a few weeks ago from my job of almost 4 years. I worked at a battered women's shelter. During that time, I wore many hats and grew a lot as a person and as an advocate. I had been looking for jobs off and on while I worked there because of the politics and we didn't get the respect we deserved from higher ups. But I had a lot of good times there and I learned a lot. I was starting to get burnt out due to the treatment from the higher ups, as were my coworkers, but my plan was to stay there and transition to something else gradually. I made some mistakes while I was there, but most of them were due to protocol changes that we didn't know had changed until after we got in trouble for it. Take me getting fired: a client came to the gate without a police escort. Our protocol is that clients must always come into shelter with a police escort, so I told her to go get one and come back. Our director talked to me about it and asked why I did it. I explained that I thought I was following protocol. Then, the COO talked to me about it and how to better handle it. Then, one morning I get to work, they say I'm fired for that after they talked about it more! I deserve better after almost 4 years of excellent service. Do I have a good case if I decide to sue them?

Answer 1

Hey, many people get fired for doing their job or following protocol. A lifeguard was fired for saving a drowning person. Why? Because he left his assigned zone; the person drowning was outside of the lifeguard’s zone, and there were no other lifeguards on duty.

Answer 2

we didn't get the respect we deserved from higher ups

BELIEVING that is grounds to be fired.

I made some mistakes while I was there

THAT is why you were actually fired, not for following protocol.

Our protocol is that clients must always come into shelter with a police escort

That has NEVER been protocol at ANY shelter on the planet. Believing it was is sufficient grounds to be fired on the spot.

I deserve better after almost 4 years of excellent service.

They 4 HOURS of TERRIBLE service.

Note: Even if EVERYTHING you claim to believe were true, you wouldn't even have a LOUSY case.

Answer 3

You have ZERO chance of winning a wrongful-termination suit based on what you've provided. In the absence of a contract, either your own with the company or the protection of a  negotiated contract with a union, you are employed at-will. You can be terminated for no reason.

Answer 4

Most states may fire at will which means you were terminated legally. However, some states will allow you to collect unemployment if you were fired without receiving warnings for other incidents.

Answer 5

No.  Unless you have an employment contract or are part of a union, your employer can fire you for virtually any reason.  Following company policies for a long time doesn't earn you any credit for breaking them later.

Answer 6

It use to be that a worker owned his job after a 90 day trial period. Then they made job applications with an "employment at will" contract. What they like to do is have an excuse to fire you so they do not have to pay unemployment benefits. That you have to contest, so think up your case well.

Answer 7

They can fire you at any time, you have no lawsuit.

Answer 8

Yes.  If the protocol in that exact same situation is NOT what you did, yes, you have grounds for being unjustly terminated.  I fail to understand how your plans to transition to something else are related to this issue.  I volunteer in a shelter.  We offer a safe haven and we call the Police before someone enters the property.  What were you supposed to do?

Answer 9

Absolutely . I've been in that boat.  My union rep and I grieved the firing and I was rehired. 

Answer 10

I don't see you have a case at all.

What country do you live in?  I can't see this happening in the USA.

If the person is supposed to come via a police escort, a better process would be to call police from the location and wait with her.