Am I in trouble?

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

tmaddox79

New Member
I work for a company of about 15 employees in IL. I'm the production supervisor. My secretary had an affair with one of our forklift drivers over a year ago. After work one day in the work parking lot, the forklift driver's wife came to work and struck my secretary with her trucking, trying to run her over. Since then, both the forklift driver and secretary have been fired for endangering the safety of the other employees, due to the reckless behavior. Recently, my ex-secretary sent me an email to my work email address to see how things were going and just to catch up. I told her to email my personal account, as I did not want the company to be liable for anything said in the emails. We had a few brief conversations about life and the like. The last email I sent to her got to her husband because he took her phone. Now, because I'm the supervisor of her former work and because she was fired, he says that he's suing the company for harassment because of our conversations. How is that possible? It was done thru PERSONAL email addresses and she contacted me? Do I not have the right to speak to whomever I wish outside of my work?



Nervously,

Tmaddox79
 
So you're saying he doesn't have a case? I love my job and don't want to risk it just because of something as trivial as this.
 
I am saying its not likely he has a case and hes probably bluffing. However your employer can choose to terminate you if the situation gets in the way of work.
 
I don't see the situation getting in the way of work. But, was having a personal conversation outside of work, something that could bring any legal ramifications against me or the company? It doesn't make any sense to me.
 
A person may sue another for almost any reason. So can he attempt to sue you? Sure but the likihood he will win is low. Was anything said that "could" be deemed inapproiate? If not relax
 
What I'm asking is this: Would any attorney worth his salt pursue this? No laws have been broken that I'm aware of. These people are redneck, trailor trash, sue-happy individuals that are looking for the quick buck and I'm concerned that, while they may not have a case, they'll cause just enough trouble to get me into hot water.
 
But what would it matter what was said at all if it was done thru personal email outside of the work place where SHE initiated contact?
 
Depends on what your being sued for? If your contact was sexual in nature alienation of affection "could" be one means this person could take. Also depending on how your intial contact was worded your work "could" be effected. There are too many "ifs" in this. Take all your emails etc to an Attorney and show him/her see what the Atorney says. In meantime it might be wise to cease contact with this person
 
It's all very simple. She emailed me at work because she is still friends with some of my employees and she was under the impression that we were laying people off and wanted to know if I needed a job. I told her no thanks and asked her how she was doing since she just had a baby recently. She wanted to continue catching up, so I gave her my personal email address so as no to jeopardize work in any way. She IS a major flirt and we had some saucy conversation thru PERSONAL email, not the work email, but it was all in jest. We had a very brother-sister like relationship here at work, as I'm only 29 and she's in her late 30's. I replied to an email she sent me a day after she sent it to me and, by that time, her husband(from whom she has been separated from for over 2 years) took posession of her phone and got the message. It was then that he stated the I had "re-opened the case" against my company be sending her an email. But I checked with the higher-ups at our company, and they have never once been contacted by any attorney regarding her or the incident. If there were a case to be "re-opened" wouldn't the company have been made aware of it? And I responded to the husbands email stating that I would no longer be taking ANY emails from her or him, and to no longer contact me.
 
I looked into the alienation of affection law. They were separated long before I knew her. Couple that with the affair she had and I seriously doubt that they would win that case. I don't mind so much if I get sued personally. I worry that they may try to take action against my company. Does anything that I have told you thus far lead you to believe that I have put my company in jeopardy? That's really what this boils down to.
 
That's what I was hoping you'd say! I just wanted to make sure that my company would have no reason to terminate me and that I hadn't broken any harassment laws or anything of that nature. Now, in taking this one step further, would I have any legal recourse if I were let go by my company due to this incident, even though I had broken no laws? Would that not fall under wrongful termination? My work hasn't suffered and I've gotten nothing but good reviews throughout my tenure here. Additionally, I was just given one of the bigger raises in the entire company. To let me go would seem a bit contradictory.
 
Unless you have a bonafide cba or employment contract your employer can terminate you at any time for any or no reason at all. The exception would be in violation of law or previously mentioned cba or employment contract. Short answer. If this guy makes trouble at your job they can fire you!
 
As long as there are no legal ramifications against the company, then he can whine and bitch all he wants. I don't think they will take action against me.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Share this page

Get a free case review from a lawyer
Back
Top