Fired for "stealing "time.

[Knuckleball0200]

the state of: Washington

So I was recently let go due to an error on my time sheet which I admit too. I unfortunately hadn't filled it out and quickly did without thinking and wrote my usual hours. About 1 hrs later heading toward the bathroom I saw a note I had written on the scheduling board. That was a reminder I was 35 minutes late. I immediately went to go fix it when the managers pulled me into a room and had me sign a paper that said that I had falsified time. Though the paper is worded like I've done it over and over which I haven't. It also says I have not provided Dr notes when I was in and out of a hospital for a week. Which I did. I'm not to upset about losing the job but it is the first time I've been fired. My question is what will happen? Did they have me sign the paper so I can't collect unemployment? Or to take legal action? What action could they take? I only signed due to a bunch of people in the room and not wanting to cause a big scene. My fear is a small mistake is going to mess me up bad.

 

[cbg]

I don't know what will happen. I am not inside your employer's head. Nor do I know the reason they wanted your signature.

However, I can tell you that you need not be afraid of their taking legal action. There is no legal action they can take. They can fire you. They can contest unemployment (though they do not make the decision as to whether you get it or not - the state does). Both those actions on their part are legal actions. But this is not a matter in which the law will get involved.

 

[drruthless]

the state of: Washington

So I was recently let go due to an error on my time sheet which I admit too. I unfortunately hadn't filled it out and quickly did without thinking and wrote my usual hours. About 1 hrs later heading toward the bathroom I saw a note I had written on the scheduling board. That was a reminder I was 35 minutes late. I immediately went to go fix it when the managers pulled me into a room and had me sign a paper that said that I had falsified time. Though the paper is worded like I've done it over and over which I haven't. It also says I have not provided Dr notes when I was in and out of a hospital for a week. Which I did. I'm not to upset about losing the job but it is the first time I've been fired. My question is what will happen? Did they have me sign the paper so I can't collect unemployment? Or to take legal action? What action could they take? I only signed due to a bunch of people in the room and not wanting to cause a big scene. My fear is a small mistake is going to mess me up bad.

Your employer is not the one who decides whether or not you get UI the state does.
File for UI and move on.
Good luck.
..________________________
~ Free advice is just that.
It didn't cost you a dime so do with it what you will.

 

[commentator]

File your claim for unemployment. Tell them exactly what happened, as it happened and as you described it here. If you set up a claim monetarily, which means you've got enough covered wages in the last two years to set up a claim, they will start the process. You will begin certifying for weeks as they pass and begin the process of getting an initial decision on whether or not your employer had a valid misconduct reason to terminate you.

They'll contact the employer and get their take on the story of why you were terminated. They may call you back and ask additional questions, but within about two or three weeks, you'll receive an initial decision about unemployment benefits.

But the employer is not the one who gets to decide whether or not unemployment (which is your only recourse, no wrongful terminations or anything of this type) will be approved for you. If that were the case, no one would ever get it, because unemployment is paid for by the taxes paid in by the employer. If you are approved, their tax rates will rise. They don't want that, and would like to convince the unemployment system that they had a valid misconduct reason to terminate you, so you would be denied benefits. It's impossible for us from here to say for sure what will happen.

They used the term "theft of time" to dramatize what you did. They might also have called it "falsification of a time record." Usually the company handbook will have something to say about this behavior. Usually it's a pretty serious offense TO THEM, though it is not, regardless of what they call it, considered a prosecutable criminal offense. If you did something criminal on the job and say, for example, they caught you stealing, they could not only fire you but press charges with the police. They don't do that for messing up/lying on your time sheet.

When you say that they made you sign something that indicates you have done this repeatedly, is this true? Did you ever receive a warning for doing this prior to this? When they bring up the doctor's statement for being absent a week, does this mean they are trying to say you were fired for unexcused absenteeism as well as putting down the wrong thing on your time sheet? We assume you received a copy of the paper you were asked to sign.

Being fired is not the end of the world. If they had a documented, convincing specific reason to terminate you, you may not be approved for unemployment benefits. After the first decision either approving or denying benefits, you'll be given, or the employer will be given a chance to appeal the decision and you will have a hearing. In any case, the matter will be hashed out thoroughly. You'll have opportunity to explain your side of the story.

In the meantime, be looking diligently for another job. Unemployment, even if approved only lasts a short time and it is not much money compared to a job. You just need to move on quickly.

 

[Knuckleball0200]

Re: commentator

Hey thanks so much for the responses everyone. I was really worried and honest mistake was going to bite me. I'm already moving on and have a job interview today. The comments made me rest a little easier. I assume they had me sign for the reason you stated to contest unemployment. I'm not goi my to file and just move on. I have a clean record and didn't want something like this to mess it up. Thank you so much.

 

[commentator]

I think you should file a claim for unemployment. It doesn't show up anywhere else, no one but someone within the unemployment system, you and the employer will ever see any record of anything that happened related to unemployment insurance. And if you don't, it makes it look like you may have really done something terrible and you know you deserved to be fired. I'd rather get it out in the open, even if I get reemployed right away. When you are fired without a good misconduct cause, it is your right file for and receive unemployment benefits until you are reemployed. Good luck to you.