Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Massachusetts
i was suspended from my job bc of a former manager coming in and taking money while i was busy working the front. they suspended me for over 2 weeks i am still on suspencion they didnt say anything but suspended til they review my actions. they saw i was working at the time was it right for them to suspend me? and what about pay?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Unless you have a contract stating otherwise, you are an employee at will and can be terminated for any reason or for no reason. Exceptions to this rule include discrimination on the basis of race, gender, etc. and retaliation for exercising your rights under various statutes or for complaining about illegal conduct. If the true reason for your suspension was because of this incident, I do not see any basis for any wrongful termination, but you should consult with other counsel as another attorney may see something I don't. You should ask about your job status. If they do not respond, I would treat it as if you were terminated and apply for unemployment. It may make sense to send a polite email to your supervisor inquiring as to your status and making clear you are still willing to work.
You might be well served to get an attorney involved to help advocate for you during suspension, ideally in an effort to retain your job and mitigate any negative consequences to you. One risk here, however, is that getting an attorney involved while still employed can sometimes inflame the employer and/or result in termination, but this may be coming anyway. This is a judgment call for you, but usually the benefits outweigh the risks.