Fired after refusing to work for free

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raceb8

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I worked at a bodyshop in Oregon for about seven years until yeaterday. The bumper of a customer's vehicle was damaged over the weekend. The owner of the bodyshop says I am responsible for the damage, and forcing me to repair the bumper for free and pay any material cost of repair. If I did damage said bumper, I would have admitted it, but I know I did not damage it. During lunch, he came out while I was taking pictures of compelling evidence that it was the tire of a trailer he was backing in the night before, that did the damage. After asking what I was doing, I told him. He demanded I give my keys up and gave me five minutes to leave the property with my belongings. Any advice would be appriciated.
 
Find a new job. You have no action to take against the employer.
Hold on to whatever evidence you believe you have in case someone tries to sue you for the damage, though it sounds like a situation in which the business is responsible.
 
I do not entirely agree with the above answers. There are no circumstances whatsoever under which an employer can legally require an employee to work for free, and firing the employee after he refused to do so could well be considered illegal retaliation under the law. The poster at the very least should report what happened to the state DOL.
 
This will be a a he said versus a he said.
I don't think the employer will be stupid enough to say he did anything wrong.
We have heard one side of this story.
If the employee damaged the car, or is even accused of damaging the car, how can he prove he didn't damage the car?
 
I suspect he was fired for taking the photos and trying to pin it on the boss.It seems some degree of argument took place.
 
I have have an audio recording of when he first approached me about the bumper being damaged. The conversation is as follows: Him: "Were you over here?" Me: "No." " This bumper was on the ground all torn to s#$t, this bumper is going back on the car, we are not painting this bumper. This is f#@*ed up on this corner. It was not like that when I left Friday. I know... I drove back my trailer here, I get out of my truck, and the first thing I thought was
 
Let it go. There is no way to prove the matter.
You describe a scenario in which you got fired awhile after that initial conversation which makes me suspect it had more to do with your actions after being accused. Of course there is no way to prove that either.
 
I got fired the day after. Did everything I was told to do. All he had was two vehicles wash and vacuum for delivery, and empty out garbages. Spent four hour doing those tasks. Was given rest of day off as I was waiting for painters to finish their part of a commssion project. The next morning I was asked to lbegin repairing the bumper. I worked on it off clock, leaving the damage till the end, so I could think how to clear my name. At lunch. I took a taped up 2x4 side swi ped hanllis rear tire, at an an angle I thought t tire would has hit
 
I was fired the next day, durin lunch. After reducing my wages down to minnimum wage a couple years ago for not waiting off clock, to close shop so that a personal project he had done by member of his family. I just want him to stop doing this to present amd future employees. The labor folks will be contacted soon. The audio givrs an ultimadum: Fix what he says I damaged at no cost him, or "get the hell off my property."
 
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