Terminated without cause?

[solsnger]

Washington
My friend was terminated from her position with a mortgage company. She was with the organization for 3 months. Upon being hired, her immediate supervisor suggested she continue looking for employment and suggested the company would likely go out of business. My friend felt concerned and based on information provided, decided it would be best to continue a job search. The supervisor logged into my friends email and printed out a copy of a letter from a prospective employee. This letter was given to my friends boss who promptly terminated her. In addition, the supervisor then began reading all my friends pervious emails and also began answering her present emails...including a personal email from a lawyer. Does she have any recourse? Additionally, the prospective employer was emailed back and told my friend was fired. Please note, my friend traveled across state Monday through Friday and resided in a company apartment, returning to her home each weekend. She did not have access to her home computer Monday through Friday, and needed to make contact with her home and legal consultants. Also, there is no employee handbook nor is there and email policy.

 

[Beth3]

The supervsior telling your friend that she should continue seeking employment is quite different than telling her she should do so on company time and using the company's e-mail and other resources. Her employer had no obligation to take her personal logistics and lack of access to her computer at home during the week into consideration. I presume she was term'd for conducting her job search and personal business on company time. No, she has no recourse.

 

[solsnger]

Additional input

Washington
IN reference to my initial question...my friend did her job search off work hours but sent the emails from her laptop while at her apartment using the company email system. Her emails were later accessed by her supervisor. Her supervisor printed out emails from the prospective employer and gave them to her current employer. Based on the letter I saw, the employer was not terminating her for anything more than what he wrote - "you were seeking other employment and planning to leave the organization". Even though no new job was offered, her job was forfeited. Does this change or affect your original response? In addition, she just received an $8000 bonus for being such an outstanding employee. What about her supervisor reading her personal emails, period? Isn't this or couldn't it be misconstrued as invading my friends privacy? There was no policy in place. Thank you

 

[cbg]

No, this does not change the answer at all.

As far as her supervisor accessing her e-mail, your friend is the one who chose, for whatever reason, to use the company e-mail and compay equipment to conduct personal business. She therefore cannot complain when the company accesses that personal business.