Fired for pictures, but they broke confidentiality

[1987Chase]

I was a photo-technician at Walgreens in Boise, Idaho. I was fired about 4 weeks ago because I developed some pictures and took them home without paying for them. I was also fired because the pictures were of me holding a marijuana smoking device and using it. During the meeting with my manager and the loss prevention representative, I paid for said pictures and was paid in cash for the hours I'd worked since our last paycheck. I also asked my manager (Crystal) what she was going to tell the other employees and she told me that she was only allowed to say that I was no longer working there, but not that I was fired and why. I bumped into an employee at Walgreens last week and she told me that she knew exactly why I was fired. She (Lindsay) told me that the SIMS coordinator (Chris) showed the pictures to the night cashier, Rory. Lindsay told me that Rory said they were of me smoking marijuana. Unfortunately, I did not call the corporate Walgreens or consult legal advice immediately about the break of confidentiality. Now I have been contacted by a third party legal group asking for $257.99. Any advice about what I should do would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Megan. Boise, Idaho

 

[cbg]

Despite a widely held but totally mistaken belief to the contrary, there is no law anywhere in the United States that prohibits an employer from telling others why you were fired. They can take out a billboard on the Lincoln Highway telling everyone who passes why you were fired if they so choose, and you would have no recourse.

You have no legal expectation of confidentiality.

 

[1987Chase]

What if Walgreens has a company policy about confidentiality?

 

[cbg]

They still haven't broken the law. It is not illegal to break company policy.

Sorry, but unless you have a bona fide, legally enforceable contract that says otherwise, they are free, from a legal standpoint, to tell anyone anything they want.