H
hobbes569
Guest
What is the name of your state? Massachusetts
I was a cocktail waitress at a local chain of pool halls. All of the waitresses as part of our job were required to do "a front desk shift" (assigning customers pool tables, giving them pool balls, and cashing out those customers when they were finished) usually once every week or two. At this establishment, there are about four men who literally spend every night there, playing pool and buying drinks. They had been doing this for years before I ever worked there. They are regular customers who had become part of the "family" and are friends with every manager and employee. They're even invited to company Christmas parties!
When I was trained on how to do the front desk duties, I was told by the fellow waitress who trained me that none of these men were ever required to pay for their pool time. This was reinforced by managers who, when I was still new at the front desk, would make a point to tell me that "these guys are all set". Neither I, or any other waitress there had ever charged them for pool time in the eight months I worked there. A week prior to being fired for doing this, I was told by one of the new managers that they DID need to pay for pool, but if it was late enough (around 12:30-1:00 am, we closed at 2 am) it was ok not to charge them. So I did exactly that, and was called the next day and told not to come in for the weekend. It was implied that I had been suspended. So I went in the following Monday and was told I didn't work there anymore. No one said the words "fired" or "quit". I tried to file for unemployment insurance a month later and was denied for having been fired for stealing.
I have an unemployment hearing coming up and need to know if there are any legal arguments I can use. Every waitress, bartender, doorman, and manager had access to the front desk computer at all times and not one of them at any time charged these regulars for pool time. But I was the only one fired for it.
I have spoken to many of the people who still work there and all agree how strange it is. I've been told, and knew all along, that one of the managers personally didn't like me, and when that happens, they find a way to fire the disliked person. Do I have any legal arguments?
I was a cocktail waitress at a local chain of pool halls. All of the waitresses as part of our job were required to do "a front desk shift" (assigning customers pool tables, giving them pool balls, and cashing out those customers when they were finished) usually once every week or two. At this establishment, there are about four men who literally spend every night there, playing pool and buying drinks. They had been doing this for years before I ever worked there. They are regular customers who had become part of the "family" and are friends with every manager and employee. They're even invited to company Christmas parties!
When I was trained on how to do the front desk duties, I was told by the fellow waitress who trained me that none of these men were ever required to pay for their pool time. This was reinforced by managers who, when I was still new at the front desk, would make a point to tell me that "these guys are all set". Neither I, or any other waitress there had ever charged them for pool time in the eight months I worked there. A week prior to being fired for doing this, I was told by one of the new managers that they DID need to pay for pool, but if it was late enough (around 12:30-1:00 am, we closed at 2 am) it was ok not to charge them. So I did exactly that, and was called the next day and told not to come in for the weekend. It was implied that I had been suspended. So I went in the following Monday and was told I didn't work there anymore. No one said the words "fired" or "quit". I tried to file for unemployment insurance a month later and was denied for having been fired for stealing.
I have an unemployment hearing coming up and need to know if there are any legal arguments I can use. Every waitress, bartender, doorman, and manager had access to the front desk computer at all times and not one of them at any time charged these regulars for pool time. But I was the only one fired for it.
I have spoken to many of the people who still work there and all agree how strange it is. I've been told, and knew all along, that one of the managers personally didn't like me, and when that happens, they find a way to fire the disliked person. Do I have any legal arguments?
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