Do I have a case?

[TripleDigitRide]

Is any one else getting such a letter?

If I get such a letter, the co-worker I was eating lunch with will also get one.

[Guest HexHead]

Since when is lunch "company time"? Are you salaried or hourly? If salaried, do you work to the clock? If not, you should start. I'd also start looking for a new job. These ****s don't care about you, only covering their own asses.

Don't worry about the letter, at most it would prevent you from getting promoted or the next raise where you are, but won't follow you anywhere. Most companies will only verify dates of employment if called for references.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

You don't need a court order inside a company to find out the origins of an email if it's inside the company. Ask that superior if he knows firsthand where it came from. Otherwise, does he

always depend on unverified information when he makes other

business decisions? It should make him think about dropping

such nonsense. It could also get the sick puppy that sent it fired.

[TripleDigitRide]

Since when is lunch "company time"?

They deduct 1/2 hour for lunch. We were there for about an hour. I waited an additional 30 minutes for my co-worker to arrive. Our jobs were already completed, which is what MY boss has always been concerned about. As long as our job was done, he's never had an issue with us trying to get our 40 hours.

Are you salaried or hourly?

Hourly.

I'd also start looking for a new job.

Trust me, I have given that some thought, but with the economy as it is, that doesn't appear to be an easy task at this point.

These ****s don't care about you, only covering their own asses.

Until this point, I've never been happier with a company. I've spent the last 7 years bragging about what an amazing company I work for, and how fortunate I am to be blessed with such a job. On top of that, the pay is pretty damn good for what I do.

Now that the real bosses are getting involved, I'm not so sure I feel the same way. I don't blame them for being concerned, but had my boss ever indicated we may be doing something wrong, we would have never been involved something that could possibly jeopardize our jobs.

Don't worry about the letter, at most it would prevent you from getting promoted or the next raise where you are, but won't follow you anywhere.

Well, they haven't handed out raises in the last two years, so we aren't expecting one this year, either. Many of us have just been happy to have a job right now. But I am concerned about this somehow effecting me in the future.

Oh well, what can I do now?

[TripleDigitRide]

You don't need a court order inside a company to find out the origins of an email if it's inside the company. Ask that superior if he knows firsthand where it came from. Otherwise, does he

always depend on unverified information when he makes other

business decisions? It should make him think about dropping

such nonsense. It could also get the sick puppy that sent it fired.

I don't think the email was sent via a company computer. If I had to guess, someone created a Gmail, Yahoo, etc. account and sent it from home.

[TripleDigitRide]

It just irritates me that I'm being forced to provide my personal banking information to prove that I was where I said I was.

[Alpha7]

They will never tell you who did it. They cannot due to privacy laws. Just show your bank statement and let whatever happens happens and then if they screw you over you can sue em if you lose your job. If they give you a letter of reprimand (which I have gotten unjustly in the past) i would write on there that you disagree with it, refuse to sign it and explain why and that you only did what "company protocol" (your supervisor) stated and would have been insubordinate if you had not. If they threaten to fire you for not signing it advise them you will sue them for an unjust firing (this is what I did) and it worked. But then we all got laid off due to the economy. I made sure I had the ammo though before I went to threatening people. DOCUMENT DOCUMENT DOCUMENT dates, times, hours, anything of importance and keep it hidden away and only produce it at the right time. This is what I did.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

You said your boss said it was anonymous. Ask him if he believes

it when you can prove you were somewhere else. That ip address still shows where it went through. I don't know where you work,

but most places have honesty clauses in their employment agreement. Why would some manager take some anonymous/

unnamed email and use it as evidence, rather than keep everyone

honest and do their jobs? If you have jealous brats at your job

that don't like you, it would be best to show your evidence of

where you were, rather than give in to a liar and risk a job. If the manager has any sense and you show him evidence to the contrary, that email is not cause for any reprimand, or anything else. If you got fired for cause using that email as the sole

evidence and reason, talk to a lawyer, after being fired. If a company doesn't like you they can usually find a better reason

than an anonymous email, especially if you can refute it.

[Alpha7]

Not good. Sign the letter, if it comes to that.. Make written comments if you need to on the letter, but refusal to sign can get you fired. Signing is not saying you agree, it is acknowleging they gave it to you. I see people everyday who refuse to sign such letters who are then fired.

My attorney advised me not to sign it as it just gives them ammo and documented proof you did wrong. Also, he said it would be against the law for them to fire you for not signing something like that and you could sue them.

[Alpha7]

Since when is lunch "company time"? Are you salaried or hourly? If salaried, do you work to the clock? If not, you should start. I'd also start looking for a new job. These ****s don't care about you, only covering their own asses.

Don't worry about the letter, at most it would prevent you from getting promoted or the next raise where you are, but won't follow you anywhere. Most companies will only verify dates of employment if called for references.

Verifying dates of employments is all they are legally allowed to do or divulge. Again according to my attorney.

[saintsfanbrian]

Verifying dates of employments is all they are legally allowed to do or divulge. Again according to my attorney.

My wife worked with HR in the past and she stated the same thing. Cannot say good or bad only that you worked for the company from this date to that date.

[TripleDigitRide]

I was always under the impression they could tell future employers weather or not you're eligible for re-hire.

[Guest jackdm3]

If called on to tell them why you were let go, what you say right then and there will be the moment of truth. How creative can you get with your answer? You will name your friendly boss as the the only contact/number they will call to verify employment. He'll probably paint you favorably. Personally, I think this is over for the most part.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

All this really depends on is whether your manager is stupid enough to believe anonymous emails. Is there a known or suspected snitch or sycophants where you work, that happens to dislike you? There's your first suspect. It almost sounds petty anyway. What difference does it make what you do on a lunch break? I say confront the manager politely on the merits of the email and why he or she would have reason to believe it since you have proof to the contrary.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

I was always under the impression they could tell future employers weather or not you're eligible for re-hire.

THAT IS CORRECT... I'd go ahead and seek the council of an attorney... if called in, i'd advise them of that fact, then follow your attorneys instructions.

[Luckyforward]

Issue #1 - your boss will not stand behind you; this is of more importance than the a**hole who turned you in.

Issue #2 - drop your concern over whomever turned you in; even if you found out who the person is, nothing you can do about him/her.

Issue#3 - IF you are issued a letter of reprimand, WRITE YOUR OWN RESPONSE TO THE LETTER AND DEMAND IT BE INCLUDED IN YOUR EMPLOYMENT FILE! No, it won't mean anything to your present situation, but if and when you seek employment in the future, you have proof of your response.

I truly regret your situation . . . and I mean that.

[Alpha7]

THAT IS CORRECT... I'd go ahead and seek the council of an attorney... if called in, i'd advise them of that fact, then follow your attorneys instructions.

Best advice,

That is what I did.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I think it depends on what kind of relationship you

have with your boss and the kind of business you

work for. If you go and tell someone at a McDonald's

or a tire store or some small business that you have

talked to an attorney about this, I'd even find some

other way to fire you. Point is, rubbing salt in a wound

will get you more trouble than you started with. Hell,

just go talk with the guy before you make it worse.

A little communication can go a long way. That's always

worked for me. Where I work they are always trying

to charge us with some rule violation. If you did

something wrong it would be different.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I think it depends on what kind of relationship you

have with your boss and the kind of business you

work for. If you go and tell someone at a McDonald's

or a tire store or some small business that you have

talked to an attorney about this, I'd even find some

other way to fire you. Point is, rubbing salt in a wound

will get you more trouble than you started with. Hell,

just go talk with the guy before you make it worse.

A little communication can go a long way. That's always

worked for me. Where I work they are always trying

to charge us with some rule violation. If you did

something wrong it would be different.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Sorry 'bout that

[Defender]

Thats just not true...if your attorney said that he is wrong. the law does NOT say they can only tell dates of employment...however, if they say more then they could be sued...so most companies have a POLICY of only divulging dates of employment, to protect them from lawsuits...if they divulge more, they are not in violation of the law, but could be held financially liable for any ill effects that result of that divulgence, if it cannot be substantiated as fact or whatever. I think we have lawyers here that will confirm that...not wanting to make a mountain out of a molehill but in my work, I talk to many people who are fired for NOT signing a letter. Illegal? not at all. Immoral: I think so. Liable to get sued for it? They can but seldom do as suing usually takes money for attorney fees.

Verifying dates of employments is all they are legally allowed to do or divulge. Again according to my attorney.

[StPatrick]

I'm guessing that TDR will handle his end well, and that if the company's business improves, management will forget all about this, and sweep it under the rug as so much old news. When (IF) work is again abundant, he'll probably get a big ole' slap on the back for being a good soldier and helping steer the ship through difficult times. Despite that...

I'm also guessing TDR will still want to know who the petty SOB was that initiated the whole mess, in order to protect against a sequel. The first step is to ask the question "who benefits from this mess?". If the answer is obvious, there's your culprit or culprits. If it's not, then expect more problems in the future, because now you'd be dealing with an a$$ causing trouble for the sake of it, with no self-interest in the outcome.

It's terrible to deal with people who want to bring you down in order to help themselves up, but much worse if they do it only to bring you down with no benefit to themselves. The first can be understood, disliked, and can be defended against. The latter is a sociopath, and there's no protection against mean, crazy, and unprincipled. Those folks are into destruction as a means with no end.

Good luck, TDR. Keep on truckin'.

Edited January 30, 2010 by StPatrick
grammar

[Angus]

TDR..this sucks, sorry to hear it dude.

People are douchebags and should mind their own damn business.

Carry on.

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

Not good. Sign the letter, if it comes to that.. Make written comments if you need to on the letter, but refusal to sign can get you fired. Signing is not saying you agree, it is acknowleging they gave it to you. I see people everyday who refuse to sign such letters who are then fired.

If that is a possibility of course Sign it and submit rebuttal to the claims, it seems the movie is a non-issue and any letter would be over a long lunch which TDR has admitted.....So yes sign.

I was just feeling his frustration and had the letter contained false claims I would not sign it......unless that would be a cause for dismissal, then I would with rebuttal and proof.

If I get such a letter, the co-worker I was eating lunch with will also get one.

That is what I was getting at, fair is fair. Long lunch is long lunch. Real men admit mistakes. Still sux to have a snake in the house. It would be my guess that person is also using your boss's attitude to his or her advantage also. And I still think you WILL find out who it is.

[analog_kidd]

It would be funny to create your own annonymous email account and send emails about each boss saying you saw them with a hooker on company time. Then you could say how easy it is to send BS emails about anyone.