Told I would be fired for being sick with a doctors note???

[RedemptionMan]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Arkansas

I was working for a local company and had not made it past my 90 days probationary period. Things had not been going extremely well, I have a lot of sales experience and this is a different type on contractual sale. I sold something during my first 90 days while lots of their sales people have been there for months and not sold anything. I also have lots of sales experience and have a track record of making companies lots of money which makes me a pretty desirable candidate. The company has a process of certifying a sales person within a specified time frame. The first time I did it, I did not pass but did very well in the role play sessions. To give you all background on the job it is a entry level sales position mainly aimed at recent college graduates or people without sales experience. I am 14-15 years older than most of the employees there and unmarried. There were times when this young manager (35ish) would make jokes and questions about my sexuality, talking about cross dressing and slamming things around. Basically, one of the most unprofessional places I have ever worked. I am unmarried but not a homosexual and if I was then I would be proud of the fact and would not tolerate such actions. Anyway, I just got sick with the flu and I went to the doctor and have a note for the past two days that I am under a doctor's care. When I called the manager to explain my situation that I am sick and can not make it to the certification today, the manager explained to me that if I could not come in today then I should turn in my stuff tomorrow and move on or consider myself fired. It was not a tactful thing and I have no idea about the legalities of this but this was not a correct thing or should have happened. This is the managers first management job and really does not have a clue as to what to do. One of his first sales meetings was to some unprofessional you tube comedy skit. I started looking for another job a month or so ago and after two interviews found another job for a better boss without the drama. My question is while I am not interested in a lengthy legal procession I am interested in knowing if there are any labor laws that were broken? If I have any recourse to file a grievous with my states labor board? I am getting ready to start another job any way but my concern is this manager will continue to do this with other employees and get away with it.

I have never worked for a place like this in my life but times are hard and I guess I needed this job to land the job I have now but what if anything can be done? I have the doctors note and everyone in the office knows what the manager told me.

 

[ecmst12]

If you've worked there for less than a year, you can be fired for being sick.

 

[Just Blue]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Arkansas

I was working for a local company and had not made it past my 90 days probationary period. Things had not been going extremely well, I have a lot of sales experience and this is a different type on contractual sale. I sold something during my first 90 days while lots of their sales people have been there for months and not sold anything. I also have lots of sales experience and have a track record of making companies lots of money which makes me a pretty desirable candidate. The company has a process of certifying a sales person within a specified time frame. The first time I did it, I did not pass but did very well in the role play sessions. To give you all background on the job it is a entry level sales position mainly aimed at recent college graduates or people without sales experience. I am 14-15 years older than most of the employees there and unmarried. There were times when this young manager (35ish) would make jokes and questions about my sexuality, talking about cross dressing and slamming things around. Basically, one of the most unprofessional places I have ever worked. I am unmarried but not a homosexual and if I was then I would be proud of the fact and would not tolerate such actions. Anyway, I just got sick with the flu and I went to the doctor and have a note for the past two days that I am under a doctor's care. When I called the manager to explain my situation that I am sick and can not make it to the certification today, the manager explained to me that if I could not come in today then I should turn in my stuff tomorrow and move on or consider myself fired. It was not a tactful thing and I have no idea about the legalities of this but this was not a correct thing or should have happened. This is the managers first management job and really does not have a clue as to what to do. One of his first sales meetings was to some unprofessional you tube comedy skit. I started looking for another job a month or so ago and after two interviews found another job for a better boss without the drama. My question is while I am not interested in a lengthy legal procession I am interested in knowing if there are any labor laws that were broken? If I have any recourse to file a grievous with my states labor board? I am getting ready to start another job any way but my concern is this manager will continue to do this with other employees and get away with it.

I have never worked for a place like this in my life but times are hard and I guess I needed this job to land the job I have now but what if anything can be done? I have the doctors note and everyone in the office knows what the manager told me.

Move on. I went through something very like what you are describing and really?? Just suck it up. I had (spell check is my friend I hope ) pneumonia. Left work with slightly blue tone to my lips and horrid cough. Told my sales mgr. She was fine with that. I expected to return to work after my Doctors visit. Doctor said I should not return to work for a week. To clarify; Left work at 2 pm on Thursday and returned to work on Saturday. I had a Doctors note. Told the MGR what was going on. Even returned to work BEFORE Medically told to. My "bags were packed" when I got there. ONLY job in 25 years of working that I was fired from. Sucked and I was VERY pissed off. But NOT ILLEGAL. (Person that fired me and her CEO boyfriend are now under investigation with the Feds.) Not trying to wish them ill or anything...(heeheehee).

Glad you are content in your current position!! I also got a much better job after that firing. Bad events sometime lead to better events.

 

[cbg]

No, no laws were broken. A doctor's note holds no legal weight unless FMLA, and very occasionally the ADA, is involved and you had not worked there long enough for FMLA; nor does anything you've posted suggest the ADA applies. There is no evidence in your post that you were fired for an illegal reason.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

As others have said, it doesn't appear to be illegal.

File for unemployment, and find yourself a better job.

Good luck.

 

[swalsh411]

Whatever you do, don't quit. Make them fire you. Unless you have specifically been told not to return, go back to work when you feel better.

If you are terminated, file for uenmployment immediately.

 

[RedemptionMan]

Whatever you do, don't quit. Make them fire you. Unless you have specifically been told not to return, go back to work when you feel better.

If you are terminated, file for uenmployment immediately.

They told me to bring my stuff in if I could not make it in and I was on antibiotics and could not even talk much less do a sales certification. The company also said they would pay me overtime during training and when training ended or was about to end, I was putting in 10-15 hours of unpaid overtime a week. I have thought about a EEOC complaint or small claim in order to get the money owed but in the end I decided it was not worth it since I have another job already and got a few weeks of unemployment from the them for firing me for being sick with a doctors note. I believe that companies that do things like this get what is coming to them in the end, what comes around goes around but thank goodness I was able to find a better job before they axed me. Oh well, they have a bad reputation anyway and I really do wish them the best since some of the people there I was close to.