Fired after revealing alcohol use by boss! *Help Please!*

[JuniorEra]

Hello, I registered here on this forum because
I need some help regarding a serious matter I was faced with at work.
Im 23 y.o and reside in Miami, FL.
I just got married last year in November.
Ive been working for a property maintanace company that is well known in Florida and out of the state as well for 1 year exactly on Wednesday 8/20/08
as a maintanance technician.
For that year ive been working, my immediate maintanance supervisor had been drinking alcohol almost everyday, every week.
Our boss the property manager became very good friends with him (maintanance superviosr) and they often went out to drink after work and on several ocassions during work.
I never told the manager of the situation with my supervisor becaus he was friends with him AND i just didnt have any solid evidence.
but from May till now i had collected
about 20 pitures of the cooler he would have with heineken and the miller bottles and whatnot.
I had proof now.
I didnt want to screw him over but he was messing with my "dinner plate"
with
lies at work that would end up causing me to get written up.
Anyway, wedensday the 20th, I got into an arguement with the supervisor
because me and my co worker were written up for something that was comepltely his fault.But it was nothing new to me since I already knew how he was.
But that day I was realy upset and decided to finally tell my manager about everything.
I told him about the drinking and the pictures i had and also i had written in a journal at home some of the cases that I was unable to take pictures of.
I asked him to give me the number to the vice president of the company.
He was surprised by my request because he stayed silent a litlle longer than normal.
He asked my why I would do that and I told him because I felt that since theyre
buddies that I he wasnt going to do anything about it.
He said its business and he has to put friendship aside.
But that same day after work they left in the same car (the managers) and went drinking and then returned to work over time.
The alcohol in their breath gave them away.
That day before they left, in the office the manager did my evaluation and told me hes was going to speak with the district manager about my raise.
Then out of nowhere, this afternoon at 5pm I get called into his office and he tells me "we have to let you go." "today is your last day."
I was shocked and when he presented the paper for me to sign, I refused to sign it.
The reason "Poor work performance".
I walk out and get in my car and went to another property that our team manages and when I pass by a tenants apartment that the supervisor has been known to visited very often, the supervisor is in there having a Miller beer!!!
He turns around and sees me, and I walk away.

I know I got fired because "I know too much" and the manager is involved so he cant take action against the supervisor because he will go down with him so they eliminate me instead.

I cant believe this can happen like this...its an injustice.
I apologize for rambling but im trying to make my story clear.
What can i do about this???

I would be extremely grateful for any information or advise that anyone could provide.

 

[cbg]

Drinking on the job, or allowing people to drink on the job, is a very poor idea but it is not illegal. If management wants to allow it, they may.

It is questionable whether you were fired for reporting the alcohol, or for the argument you had with your supervisor that made you decide to report it in the first place. It is also legal to fire you for refusing to sign the write up.

Sorry, it seems like you may have gotten a raw deal but you don't have any kind of supportable claim that I can see. File for unemployment and look for a new job.

 

[JuniorEra]

I apprectaite the reply.

But does that mean, that the company cant fire an employee for drinking on the job even if i have proof of it?
Today I have a meeting with one of the district managers and he wants to speak with me about what happened after I called him and explained my situation.

I was under the assumption that there is a law in the State of Florida that prohibits drinking during work hours or something of that nature.
Kinda like drinking and driving.

Do you think the compnay can help me given the solid information that I have?
Im am sure large companies have strict policies against any kind of drug use at work.
And theres no doubt in my mind that my company does too.
I dont understand how i was fired instead of my supervisor.
I dont want to sue anyone or anybody, I just want my job back because it was taken from me unfairly.


Thanks again.

 

[cbg]

There are NO circumstance in any state where an employer is required to fire someone. It's not so much that they can't, as that they don't have to. EVEN IF there is a policy against drinking on the job -for that matter, even if there were a LAW against drinking on the job, that does NOT mean that the employer is required to fire them. There are laws against sexual harassment in the workplace too, but that doesn't mean that the employer is required to fire a harasser.

Given that you had a fight with your supervisor BEFORE you provided the information, you're going to have an uphill battle proving that the ONLY reason you were fired was your report. And even if you could, that is NOT a reason for which your employer is going to be compelled by law to give you your job back.

What EVIDENCE do you have (not feelings - EVIDENCE) that if you had never reported the drinking you would not have been fired?

 

[JuniorEra]

What EVIDENCE do you have (not feelings - EVIDENCE) that if you had never reported the drinking you would not have been fired?

Hmm, thats a very good question.
Becuase that wednesday morning before i reported the drinking, I received a write up along with my co-workers...
if he wanted me fired, he wouldve done it right there for that reason.
After I reported the drinking, I got fired a day later.
And on the paper it said "leaving work early" but thats what got written up for wedensday morning before reporting the alcohol problem his buddy the supervisor had. (which involves him *manager* also because if he took disciplinary actions against him *supervisor*, he would also be in trouble for the drinks they had together while at work)
so to save themselves from a disaster/headache, they eliminate me.

So thats the EVIDENCE I can think of, I got written up for the same reason I got fired for as sated on the form when he "let me go".
But fired AFTER revealing the supervisors drinking habits.

So a write up BEFORE saying anything..
Then fired AFTER saying something...

CBG your help is tremendous...

 

[jacksgal]

I think your time is better spent looking for new work than pursuing this

 

[JuniorEra]

Yes and I agree.
I did not waste anytime and already started looking for a new job.
BUT I also wanted to fnd out if I could do anything about this.

Thanks you for the help.

Cheers.

 

[cbg]

Sorry, but I don't see it as evidence that they did not fire you at the same time they did the write up.

I once had a situation where an employee had been told if she did x one more time she would be fired, and we had her signature on several pieces of paper acknowleging it. She did x again and the next day when she came in to work she acknowledged that she knew she would probably be fired. But even under those circumstances it was mid-afternoon before I had all the appropriate company-required forms and acknowledgements to go ahead and fire her.

There's nothing in the law that says you have to be fired for something immediately upon its happening.