was i fired legally?

[bdanc33]

i worked for a local government for 13 years as an inspector. in that time i was never out and had impeccable work evaluations.however, last month i was caught shoplifting from a grocery store during company hours. i was suspended and then fired within days.do i have any recourse as a first time offender. the city policy says inapprpriate action during working hours can lead to termination, but i was a great employee with no prior record. should i contact a local attorney here in n.c to get my job back, or is all hope lost. thanks

 

[jacksgal]

No there is nothing you can do you poor choice on this occasion caused your termination and its legal

 

[cbg]

Unless you were operating under a contract or CBA that specifically says otherwise, yes, you were fired legally. There is nothing in the law that prohibits an employer from firing an employee who was caught shoplifting, regardless of how good their record was until then.

 

[Green_Hornet]

Government employees: Federal, state and local government workers are protected by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, which prohibit the government from depriving any person of "life, liberty or property" without due process of law.

These employees are considered to have a property interest in their jobs, and the right to due process places significant restrictions on arbitrary dismissals unrelated to job performance. Some additional protection is provided by federal, state and local civil service laws.

 

[de_novo]

As your actions in and out of work are a direct correlation to you being a government employee, the employer can justly terminate you for conduct that falls outside of the code of ethics, especially since the misconduct happened during company hours!