Legal Question in Employment Law in California
Former subordinate is blacklisting
I gave 4 weeks notice resigning from several years as an association manager. A week later I took a week of vacation time. They audited my credit card expenses and mailed a letter to my home listing some personal charges. It said they were still auditing the account, that I was terminated effective the day I received the letter and if they found other personal charges the total amount would be withheld from my final paycheck. They withheld my entire final paycheck which I did not dispute.
I'm now an independent contractor working from home providing customer service to similar associations. A former employee is calling current and potential clients stating that I was fired, it involved money, they shouldn't contract with me, they shouldn't trust me and the only reason they didn't prosecute was because they didn't want negative publicity and I was already gone. These current and potential clients are not calling the organization for references. The former employee is initiating these phone calls.
I don't want negative publicity since some charges were personal but I repaid them. I don't want to lose business and damage my (previously great) reputation in my association industry. What can I do?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Former subordinate is blacklisting
You might try sending this person a letter, firm but polite and professional, telling him/her to knock it off. Take a look at CA Labor Code Sect. 1050 and the several sections following it, before you write.