Q: I worked at Wells Fargo for 13 years and throughout my time there there was many incidents that I was passed up for
Promotions. Last incident was I was expected to be acting branch manager since we didn’t have one. Perform and run the branch and I applied for the opening and wasn’t even considered for an interview. I worked as acting branch manager for 2 months. I was a service manager and my qualifications weren’t enough to get a fair opportunity. I then searched for another job and my district manager became upset and was already looking for my replacement before I even was certain that I was leaving. She told my manager you need to “hold her accountable” until her last day.
A:
I am sorry this has happened to you. It is always disappointing when a company does not reward years of quality work with promotions. However, an employer has the right to promote, not promote, demote, discipline and terminate any employee at any time and for any reason. The only way your facts would suggest a viable legal claim is if you could prove this was happening to you because of your gender, or race, or religion, or any other legally protected classification of people. Your post does not disclose facts of such an unlawful motive.
If you do have facts that would support an unlawful motive, it would be wise for you to locate and consult with an experienced employment law attorney as soon as possible to explore your facts and determine your options. I would suggest you look either on this site, or go to www.cela.org, the home page for the California Employment Lawyers Association, an organization whose members are dedicated to the representation of employees against their employers.
Most employment attorneys who practice this area of law offer a free or low cost consultation in the beginning and then, if the matter has merit and value, will usually agree to work on a contingency basis, meaning you can hire an attorney without paying any money until the matter results in a positive outcome for you. Many advance all the costs of the litigation as well. Do not let fear of fees and costs keep you from finding a good attorney.
Good luck to you.
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.
