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Getting Fired

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T

TarisFlashpaw

Guest
I'm not American, I'm in Canada.

About a month ago, I was hired by the Hudson's Bay Company as a sales associate for their latest Home Outfitters store in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My contract (which I signed and which the lady that hired me signed) was to start on the 18th day of August and continue till the 1st day of October, 2003.

On the 11th of August, I was called by the management and asked if on the 13th, I could come in for eight hours and clean the shelves before the merchandise was put up. I was told that I would be paid for this, so I accepted. I went in on the 13th and worked from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM and cleaned four areas.

After I had cleaned the first area, two managers approached me and took me to another area and told me not to bother scrubbing off all the little bits but just to wipe off the dust. I did so. However, before I started in that area, I warned them both that I could not work on ladders (to clean the very top shelves) because I was dreadfully afraid of heights and got quite unstable up on ladders. They agreed to this.

Earlier, we were told that when we finished an area, we were to report to the management and that they would inspect it. If anything was wrong, we were to fix it immediately. After finishing my second area (the one those two managers put me in) to the best of my ability, I went looking for them to let them know that I had finished my work there. I asked if they needed to inspect it right then or if I should just go on (in case they were busy). They told me to just go on and that they would check it as they went by.

So I continued on to the next section and then to the last one before we were dismissed for the day. At the end of the day, when I signed out at 5:00 PM, I was told that I would be receiving a call from the managers on the 14th or the 15th to let me know when to come in for my first shift the next week. I received no such call, but found out from my partner (who is also working there as a cashier), that due to the fact that they had 90 employees, they were bringing people in in groups in alphabetical order. Since my last name (Taylor) is near the end of the alphabet, I figured that I'd give them a week or so to call me. I waited for them and they still didn't call.

Finally, this past Monday (August 25th), I called them to find out what was happening. They told me that after I had left, someone had complaints with the areas that I cleaned and that I had been fired on the 14th or the 15th (before my contract was to start).

Now, I explained it to the lady that I spoke to that I made it very clear to the managers that I couldn't work on ladders and that the dust on the high shelves was most likely the problem. She said that she would talk to someone else and try to get me in for one more shift so they could evaluate my work for themselves. She hasn't called yet, but I'm curious if the fact that they fired me before my contract was due to start is a breach of contract. From all I've read and heard, it is and they can be in serious legal trouble for it.

Is it a breach of contract and what can I do?
 



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