Do they have to fire me to?

[dlockemy]

What is the name of your state? Tennessee
If a company fires an employee for "disobeying the rules stated in handbook" and then finds that other employees did the same act, do they have to fire the other employees also since they fired one just to " make things even"?

 

[Beth3]

If you are asking whether some law compels them to, no. An employer may be as hit and miss with their application of company rules as they wish to, as long as the reason the rules are enforced for some and not others isn't the race, gender, religion, handicap, national origin, etc. of the employees involved.

If you're asking whether it's more likely that an employer will fire employee B for doing the same thing employee A did that got got him/her fired, the answer is yes.

 

[dlockemy]

TY
yes I know that it is more likely, but supervisor is acting like it is the law that if an employee is fired for breaking rules then they have to fire others for same reason,basically to cover themselves.. TY

 

[Beth3]

but supervisor is acting like it is the law that if an employee is fired for breaking rules then they have to fire others for same reason,basically to cover themselves It may well be company policy, as well as HR and senior management dictating that supervisors make fair and equitable decisions. There are many reasons why doing so is an excellent idea.

Other than perhaps because you may be the one in the hot seat at the moment, I expect you would agree if employee A is fired for stealing money from the petty cash box, employee B should also be fired if he/she does the same thing.

 

[dlockemy]

I absoluely agree, and I am one in hot seat. I just like being made to feel like it is the LAW when it isn't.. TY again

 

[Beth3]

It may feel like THE LAW to your supervisors though. I know I pretty much beat the snot out of mine when they make stupid, irrational, and inconsistent decisions when administering company work rules and disciplining employees.

"Er, John, why exactly do you want to write this employee up for doing 'X' when I know for a fact that Joe Blow in your department did exactly the same thing just last month and you didn't do a damn thing." It'd be kinda fun to watch 'em squirm once in a while if it weren't so aggravating. Situations arise that call for exceptions but they better have a darn good reason why we should be treating two employees who both engaged in some form of misconduct differently.

 

[cbg]

In addition, if there is a difference in race, religion, national origin etc. between Employee A and Employee B, then it very well might be the law, since the law does not permit an employer to treat employees differently based on protected groups. If, as an example, Employee A is hispanic and you are caucasion, then firing Employee A and not you COULD be seen as discrimination on the basis of race, which is illegal.