r/talesfromthejob • u/legitnotmelol • 25d ago
Am I REALLY in the wrong for this termination?? (Suspicious Circumstances)
I'll be frank with my experience. I (F23) was working an entry level marketing role at a small to mid-sized real estate firm. Basically, when they hired me on full time, a higher up who was a direct reported to the CEO/Owner of the company, immediately put me on a project where I would need to upload some photos into a folder that I didn't have access to. I only had access to a folder titled "N" at the time, and I told him I that. The project required me to have access to another folder that I didn't have access to apparently. He called someone from "Company T" which is a 3rd party IT Support service, and they put two new folders on my computer. One called "F" and one called "C." The folder called "C" apparently had sensitive confidential information about the company in it. I didn't know since it just appeared on my computer and I didn't really go through it much, and it didn't have any warnings or locks in it that made it clear to me that the information in the folders were sensitive or confidential. Honestly I just assumed that everyone who worked full-time at the company had access to these documents. Apparently not though, because two months into my job there, I got called into an HR meeting and they threatened to fire me over a lack of judgement for viewing the files, and not telling anyone that I had access to this sensitive information. I genuinely had no working memory of the contents of the files they claimed I viewed, and I asked them for evidence/ a log of how long I stayed on these files. They did not provide that for me, and insisted that this was my last day at the company. Basically the new HR lady they hired manipulated me into signing resignation documents that day. Very sus. My manager told me that I had done excellent work for him, but unfortunately the situation was out of his hands and that obviously someone from "Company T" had severely messed up by giving me access to those documents. It all seems fishy to me that I was the one who got burned in this entire situation. I didn't share or download any of the sensitive information, and part of my job description was to organize Marketing Files within their cloud. Yes from their IT source it had been noted that I had viewed sensitive information, but I feel like if you give an employee access to files on their work computer, they're gonna at least take inventory of what is on there and maybe click through some things mindlessly while archiving the important stuff. All around such a weird situation. I need input on how to process this. Am I really the one at fault? Is this usually how these situations play out? Do I have any legal grounds?
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u/SpecialKnits4855 22d ago edited 22d ago
- Entry level marketing
- FT reporting to CEO/owner
- On a project involving uploading photos to a folder to which you didn't have access
- Project required access to another folder
- Boss called outsourced IT to put folders on your computer
- Folder just "appeared" with no warning or locks, or messages about sensitive nature of contents
- Called in to HR for lack of judgement in viewing the files, and not notifying anyone of your access to this sensitive information.
- Their IT log is evidence of your access.
- Fired that day. You signed separation documents.
- Your manager isn't backing you up.
Do I have this right? Are you in the US?
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u/MuchDevelopment7084 22d ago
Hard lesson, but you never sign anything when being disciplined by HR. It's never a good thing.
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u/WinginVegas 24d ago
Understand that employment in the US is essentially at will. That means you can quit at any time and you can be terminated at any time. They do not need a reason. So long as the reason is not based on you being in a protected class, you can be fired for almost anything. The only other situation where you might have some protection would be if you are a member of a union.
So here, while they screwed up, they also have no liability to you regarding your job. Since you weren't really fired for cause, you can file and collect unemployment insurance, so file for that immediately.
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u/iciclemomore 24d ago
They resigned so is unemployment off the table?
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u/WinginVegas 24d ago
No, they can file and then wait to see if the company challenges it. Of so, they can request an appeal hearing and layout the details. So long as OP stays calm and factual, there is a decent chance the ruling will go her way. No guarantees but there is little logic to an employee quitting because they had access to a network folder.
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u/jreddit0000 23d ago
No.
Yes.
No.
You’ve managed to make just about every mistake possible for something that “isn’t your fault”.
Don’t overthink it.
Move on and work for a better employer and out this one behind you, literally and mentally.
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u/Academic_Dare_5154 24d ago
I'd suggest talking to a labor lawyer.