Q: In the state of NC can I legally be fired for telling a joke to a coworker when I'm not at work?
A: In general--yes. North Carolina is an at-will employment state. Absent an employee contract or an agreement, the employer can terminate someone's employment for almost any reason or no reason at all. You may want to speak with an employment attorney if other factors were at play, but this does not appear to be unlawful activity based on your example.
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