What is the name of your state? OH
A company in SC hires employees from all over the US. The company has a web site which has a chat room, as well as an instant message function, which the company encourages everyone to use. Two independent contractors used the instant message function on that web site. A day later, they were terminated based on what they said in what they THOUGHT was a private conversation between themselves (nothing was said that went against any rules or regulations of their work scope). No one had ever told them, or any of the other workers, that the chat room or instant messages were being recorded.
The two workers received, along with their termination E-mails from the CEO, a complete transcript of their conversation, which also included other worker's conversations, approximately 15 pages of such, date and time stamped, which they had not participated in, and which were "instant messages" between many other people (employees and independent contractors)! Approximately 98% of these workers are off-site workers from various states throughout the US. Only these two apparenly offended the CEO at this point.
Is there any recourse for any employee/independent contractor who is fired/terminated under circumstances such as these? These two reside in NE and OR.
Thanks for opinions.
A company in SC hires employees from all over the US. The company has a web site which has a chat room, as well as an instant message function, which the company encourages everyone to use. Two independent contractors used the instant message function on that web site. A day later, they were terminated based on what they said in what they THOUGHT was a private conversation between themselves (nothing was said that went against any rules or regulations of their work scope). No one had ever told them, or any of the other workers, that the chat room or instant messages were being recorded.
The two workers received, along with their termination E-mails from the CEO, a complete transcript of their conversation, which also included other worker's conversations, approximately 15 pages of such, date and time stamped, which they had not participated in, and which were "instant messages" between many other people (employees and independent contractors)! Approximately 98% of these workers are off-site workers from various states throughout the US. Only these two apparenly offended the CEO at this point.
Is there any recourse for any employee/independent contractor who is fired/terminated under circumstances such as these? These two reside in NE and OR.
Thanks for opinions.