# Termed but seems shady



## Drpanda1980 (Mar 8, 2021)

So I had an interaction with a guest this weekend that led to my termination. However the crazy part of it my statement, the market source tech persons statement show the guest was wrong and escalated a situation. Background. Guest was not happy when I said she was the first guest in 8 months to even ask about Directv packages. Mind you this isn’t even a redshirt question I was trying to answer and help tech. She began to raise her voice and call me rude. I replied I wasn’t being rude and was trying to help. Again called me rude and proceeded to demand my name. I refused and told her I wasn’t going to allow her to drag me into a confrontation. I began to walk off as it was time to go home and she kept at it and called me a fat motherfucker. At this moment I turned around and stepped back (7steps according to video) to tell the guest that was unacceptable. She stepped towards me, lowered her mask and began yelling loudly that I was stepping to her like I was going to fight her. At this point I’m dumbfounded and just standing there. I call for AP and TL assistance. They come and talk to the guest take statements and all the usual. I’m then called later the same night and told it was sent up to HRBP and I was to not come in until the investigation was over. Today I get a call informing me that I was being terminated because the “guest felt threatened” when I walked back after being insulted and also after the guest engaged in behavior that was not indicative of someone in fear of their safety. What do I even do? I called the integrity hotline but it just seems like the “investigation” was a joke and there was never a chance in hell of me keeping my job. Not a single TL or TM who is aware of the situation can understand or justify the decision. I need clarity on what they could have claim as grounds and how do I fight it.


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## 60SecondsRemaining (Mar 8, 2021)

At-Will Employment - Overview
					

Employment relationships are presumed to be “at-will” in all U.S. states except Montana. At-will means that an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any legal reason without incurring legal liability.



					www.ncsl.org
				




TLDR You do nothing.

Yes it sucks.

No it isn't worth your time and money to fight it.


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## Tessa120 (Mar 9, 2021)

It may be worth fighting for unemployment though.  They'll say their side, you'll say yours and the official will decide who's more truthfyl/correct and if the conditions meet at fault or not.


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## Drpanda1980 (Mar 9, 2021)

I’m definitely fighting for the unemployment. I know that lawsuits and that type of stuff are nigh impossible to win. I’m actually crazy enough at the moment to use the integrity hotline and dispute the termination. I just want to actually have someone from HRBP talk to me and get a sense of the incident not a witness statement that was written while still emotional.


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## jackandcat (Mar 16, 2021)

How long had you worked for Target?


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## Fix It (Mar 25, 2021)

In my opinion, she’s a real piece of shit and you were in the right for walking away and calling for help. I know a lot of TMs who’ve done this, you’re not paid to be abused like that. The doubling back to address a comment is the issue, while she maybe lying about feeling threatened you kind of opened that door for interpretation. Maybe there’s a failure in management for not standing up for the TM but we are only hearing one side of  3 sides of a story.

My advice would be take away what ever lessons you can learn from the situation and find something new. Target can’t state why they termed you so say it was for meal compliance or something.


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## james0707 (Mar 28, 2021)

Hire an attorney and explore legal action against the guest and Target.

I would also contact the police to press charges.  Depending on your state, you can't lower your mask and start yelling in someone's face during a pandemic.


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## The Dude Abides (Mar 28, 2021)

james0707 said:


> Hire an attorney and explore legal action against the guest and Target.
> 
> I would also contact the police to press charges.  Depending on your state, you can't lower your mask and start yelling in someone's face during a pandemic.


I would absolutely get in touch with a lawyer about pressing charges against the guest. In my state, people have been charged with a felony for similar behavior.


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## james0707 (Mar 28, 2021)

Get a lawyer to get a copy of all angles of the security videos.

If the guest stepped towards you, it negates her claim feeling threatened.

You can sue for slander and defamation of character with your job loss as proof of damages.


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## Hardlinesmaster (Mar 28, 2021)

james0707 said:


> Get a lawyer to get a copy of all angles of the security videos.
> 
> If the guest stepped towards you, it negates her claim feeling threatened.
> 
> You can sue for slander and defamation of character with your job loss as proof of damages.


Videos have no sound.


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## james0707 (Mar 28, 2021)

Hardlinesmaster said:


> Videos have no sound.




The videos do not need sound.  The guest made an accusation that she felt threatened.  If the videos show her going towards the team member, it negates her claim of feeling threatened.  Nobody who feels threatened by someone is going to move towards that person - they would back up and try to put distance between themselves and the person they feel threatened by.

If the guest made false claims either in writing or verbally to Target, she is guilty of slander and/or defamation of character.  The guest's claims directly resulted in the termination and the loss of pay.

Simple as that.  You can't make a false claim and get someone fired.

For example, if I walked into a store, claimed the employee called me a racial slur, and that employee got fired because of it.  If it turns out that the employee never called me a racial slur, then the employee has a right to come after me for false claims of slander and defamation of character. 

Otherwise, we should all be wearing body cams with audio to protect ourselves.


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## Captain Orca (Mar 28, 2021)

Shit like that is why I'm glad I left on MY terms.  Fucking bitches like that are garbage, trash and habitual liars.  If you can sense a conflict in the future, read the body language, be careful then get the fuck away from them ASAP and call in AP.  Never engage, they will lie and cut your nuts off at the drop of a hat.


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## Captain Orca (Mar 28, 2021)

Same thing for manbitches.


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## Hardlinesmaster (Mar 29, 2021)

james0707 said:


> The videos do not need sound.  The guest made an accusation that she felt threatened.  If the videos show her going towards the team member, it negates her claim of feeling threatened.  Nobody who feels threatened by someone is going to move towards that person - they would back up and try to put distance between themselves and the person they feel threatened by.
> 
> If the guest made false claims either in writing or verbally to Target, she is guilty of slander and/or defamation of character.  The guest's claims directly resulted in the termination and the loss of pay.
> 
> ...


I think there is more to the story than the op is saying. For the op to get fired over the phone is not normal for spot. There is no mention about talking to the stl or Etlhr about the termination by the op.


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## NotCynicalYet (Mar 29, 2021)

Yeah something doesn't add up here.


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## happygoth (Mar 29, 2021)

Hardlinesmaster said:


> I think there is more to the story than the op is saying. For the op to get fired over the phone is not normal for spot. There is no mention about talking to the stl or Etlhr about the termination by the op.





NotCynicalYet said:


> Yeah something doesn't add up here.


I don't know, the OP gave a pretty detailed description of what happened, and they were "on leave" and just waiting to hear the final determination after the investigation. Would it make sense in this situation for HR to call them and have them come in to the store just to let them go? At this point they were just waiting to find out if they still had a job or not.


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