Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in North Carolina
violation of free speech in the workplace
Because NC is such an ''at will'' work state I can't find a law firm to talk to me seriously. I have been fired not because of production or deadlines but because I was building too many relationships with the IT dept instead of telemarketing department.
I am pretty well documented and would like to challenge it but because of our ''at will'' status am having a hard time finding anyone that is willing to try.
How do I find a qualified experienced employee litigation lawyer in NC that is willing to help with this?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: violation of free speech in the workplace
Well, to answer your question, I would say you must either (1) be willing to pay hourly for an attorney to represent you on a case in which you will probably lose or (2) demonstrate more compelling facts. In North Carolina, you are right that you are an employee "at will" generally. As such, you have very little rights in this situation, unless you are being discriminated against because of, e.g., race, or unless you qualify for a public policy exception (e.g. you're fired because you submit a workers compensation claim). The attorneys with whom you have spoken are probably doing you a favor, intentionally or not. Of course, if extra facts are present, you may have a claim, but I assume that you conveyed all the facts in your message, and in your communications with the attorneys, and likewise that they asked you the pertinent facts. If everything else fails, you may use the yellow pages, and try other search methods for employment-law attorneys. Good luck.