Wrongfully Accused

[cosmoklover]

My wife was wrongfully accused and harassed by her two bosses for stealing money from the company. They said they had proof that she stole and that they had cameras, they also told her that if she said anything bad about the company to anyone else that she would be arrested right away and our 4 yr old daughter would be given to child services! That was going a little far, because they can't afford a surveillance system and if they can't prove that she did something, like stealing money, what right do they have threatening her like that. What recourse do we have?? I am not worried about the job (fire at will state).

 

[Beth3]

Your wife's bosses can't "have" anyone arrested. Private citizens do not have that power. Only law enforcement, district attorneys, and judges do. Same goes for your child being removed from your home. The MOST these guys could do would be to (a) file a criminal complaint with the police over the missing money and (b) file a report with child protective services alleging your child is being abused or neglected. That could cause you and your wife some hassle when the police and CPS investigates (assuming they'd even bother) but if there's insufficient proof that your wife stole any money, no criminal charges would be filed and I expect CPS would dismiss the complaint after they visited.

Your wife's bosses sound like a real piece of work but they have not violated any laws. If they actually DO make malicious or nuisance complaints to the police and CPS, then speak to an attorney as you may have grounds to file a harassment suit against them.

 

[AngryMom]

I would go further

and dependent upon what state you are in, find out your recording laws. Then if you happen to be in a one-party consent state, have your wife call these people to confront them on these issues and have them explain why they are harassing her in such a manner (especially the CPS issue) etc if they actually have no grounds. If there are underlying issues and this actually is a harassment issue, they may end up giving you the ammunition you need to take to an attorney to file a civil suit against them for harassment aside from it being in a fire-at-will state. Additionally, you also would have on recording something for the CPS caseworker to hear--in your attorney's presence! (that it is a case of vindictiveness rather than an actual concern for your minor children's welfare.)

 

[Beth3]

That doesn't strike me as a very sound plan. (a) Calling these people up and engaging them in a debate will likely only make things worse, and (b) they might use the existance of such a recording and the fact that she initiated the call and the discussion to allege that she was harassing them.

If there are underlying issues and this actually is a harassment issue, they may end up giving you the ammunition you need to take to an attorney to file a civil suit against them for harassment aside from it being in a fire-at-will state. The type of harassment I was referring to in my previous post would be anything that is a violation of criminal or civil statutes. Nothing here remotely suggests that the type of harassment that is prohibited by employment laws is taking place, therefore there is no recourse if the bosses exercise their "employment at will" rights and terminate her.

 

[cosmoklover]

Thanks for the input. I think we are going to put this on the back burner for a while. They said they hired a detective and if we wanted them to take this any further the police would be involved. My wife doesn't want to go through that, as long as the right people (her family and friends and future employers) know that she didn't steal money from the company. There is no need to when her husband makes $1200 a week and the job was something she has dreamed of having since she was young. By putting those two together it wouldn't make sense to blow your dream in working for a company by stealing money that you wouldn't even need. Oh well, welcome to Corporate America or Non-corporate America.

Thanks for your input

 

[Beth3]

So they hired a private detective but they haven't notified the police of the missing money? I find that very bizarre.

I think your wife is working for some very strange people indeed, particularly given the vicious threats they made. It seems to me she'd be well advised to move on to a new position as quickly as she can. Something is definitely not on the up-and-up in this situation. I just don't know what it is.