Q: Can they really fire me for this?
I'm 16 years old and have worked for McDonalds for the past 6 months. A couple nights ago it was a busy night and I took a fake 50 unknowingly. The supervisor has decided to fire me for this saying that I should have gotten a manager to take the 50 and used a counterfeit pen but the supervisor is barely here she doesn't really know how the store operates when she's gone. We don't get managers for 50 dollar bills only 100s and all the managers told her that and continue to go by that. As for the counterfeit pen we haven't had one in sight for weeks. She wanted me to pay the 50 dollars the next day or I was fired. I would have but I don't have 50 dollars. I offered to pay it when I get paid next week or to directly take it out of my check and the supervisor was still unreasonable and decided to fire me. No notice and no time for me to find another job. I also wonder if it's possible for me to use my hours against her. I have worked into overtime before and I'm only 16 is that legal?
A: North Carolina is an at-will employment state, which means that employers have significant discretion to fire employees. Unless your termination violates a specific law or goes against the terms of your contract, your employer can fire you for any reason at all – including reasons that seem ridiculous or unfair.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
