US Labor Laws - please advise

So, my boss is railroading me and J out of a job.

While both he and I have consistently made our numbers (as opposed to certain of the boss’ friends) and while we have always been willing to put in extra work, been the fastest most accurate at whatever we do, blah, blah, blah, all of a sudden we both have “attitude problems”. J has been told to step down from his assistant manager position, I haven’t been spoken to yet (but J says they said I will be.) I don’t know if they’re going to talk me into leaving or what, but I’m up for an evaluation/raise at the end of the month and obviously they’re not going to give me the raise I feel I deserve.

They couldn’t give J any examples of his “negative attitude”. (The boss and the DM.) I assume the same with me. Meanwhile, I’ve never called in sick. (Been here a year.) I’ve come in all the time for people who did call in sick. I’ve always volunteered to do things that looked like they needed doing. I’m not the best salesperson there, but I keep my numbers up. If I don’t straighten, it dosen’t get straightened.
While other people use sick relatives as an excuse not to work, when my father was in the hospital I came in (half an hour late, I had to take his suitcase) when we were moving because I felt I couldn’t leave people in the lurch like that.

I have also never been trained. (I’ve been -reported- as trained, I believe.) There are beaucoup incicdents of managerial incompetance - we were going to write the DM a letter about it, try to get something done, but a) my dad and Certain People Here got all “how dare you screw with somebody’s job” at me and anything we do now just looks like retailiation, and b) school started, and it’s hard to juggle grad school, a GA, a part time job, and a major manager complaint.

Over the last few months the people I liked who worked there have left in disgust, mostly. Just J and myself and somebody we’ll call M survive. The boss has been hiring sketchy people with zero product knowledge - I don’t want to work there if J isn’t a manager because working with P makes me feel like I need a bath. Of course any complaint I make about P now looks like retaliation.

My question is: can they do this? I feel so betrayed! I’ve given and given and given to this job and this is how they repay me? Even if I’m “allowed” to keep my job certainly I won’t get the raise I deserve. I know we’re (the Musicland group) under investigation by the DOL anyway for unpaid labor (so now we’re supposed to go to the bank at night, come back, unlock the store, clock out, lock back up… really silly.) I don’t want a -lawsuit-, please no pain and suffering, but what’s really legally going on here? Is there a difference between J being “asked to step down” and “replaced” and him being “fired”? Can you be fired for a personality conflict? (Does anybody know Musicland company policy on this?) Please advise.

Well, it depends on the state, but the majority of states are “hire at will” states, meaning that unless you have a contract that spells out the terms for hiring and firing (either a union contract or a personal contract for professional work) or unless the corporation has enacted its own regulations that put limits on hiring and firing, you serve at the whim of your boss who is allowed to fire you for wearing the wrong color socks, if s/he sees fit.

It would seem that you are not covered by a contract, but it sounded as though you do work for a large company. Your best bet (if you really want to continue working for these jerks) is to contact corporate Human Resources/Employee Relations/Personnel and ask them what the corporate rules are. If the managers are in violation of company policy, you might be able to get them in trouble, there (although that will not guarantee your jobs unless you threaten legal action).

Federal Law only prohibits them from firing you based on race, creed, color, or national origin.

Federal law prohibits a lot of firings beyond the above. For example, if they fire you because of a disability that could have been reasonably accomodated.

Also, state law prohibits many different kinds of firings. For example, if they fire you for reporting to jury duty, you may have a claim.

The truth is, most firings are totally legal. But ya never know until you talk to a labor lawyer.

Err, that should be if they fire you because of a disability that could have been reasonably accomodated, you MAY have a claim.

and . . . (standard disclaimer about legal advice)