employee firing question

[nolefan]

Here is the situation

I got my oil changed from a auto company that has stores nation wide. I was charged an x amount for the service and a disposal fee. I asked what was the disposal fee was for? They said they are to pay for the disposal of the oil and used filter. If true I am OK with a fee like this. But I work for the company that picks up their used oil and used oil filters and I know this is not true. We pay them a curtain amount per gallon for their used oil and pick up the filters for free. So I decided to send their corporate office an email asking to explain this fee. I told them I know it is against the law, in Florida, to make a profit off a fee like this. Here is where I messed up. I put in the email I worked for the company that picks up their used oil and filters. I know I should of not done this but what is done is done. My email has been sent to the high ups of my company and I here they are pissed. Here is my question. Does my company have the right to fire me for my personal opinion and personal actions?

 

[Facetious]

You're looking out for the good & just ! . . Keep your head up high ~!

From where did you hear that they were pissed ?

 

[sterobbo01]

Here is the situation

I got my oil changed from a auto company that has stores nation wide. I was charged an x amount for the service and a disposal fee. I asked what was the disposal fee was for? They said they are to pay for the disposal of the oil and used filter. If true I am OK with a fee like this. But I work for the company that picks up their used oil and used oil filters and I know this is not true. We pay them a curtain amount per gallon for their used oil and pick up the filters for free. So I decided to send their corporate office an email asking to explain this fee. I told them I know it is against the law, in Florida, to make a profit off a fee like this. Here is where I messed up. I put in the email I worked for the company that picks up their used oil and filters. I know I should of not done this but what is done is done. My email has been sent to the high ups of my company and I here they are pissed. Here is my question. Does my company have the right to fire me for my personal opinion and personal actions?

I think you were quite within your rights to complain as a customer if you know it not to be true. They can get shafted off Environmental Health too! (Not sure of American equivalent agency)

It would all depend whether or not you abused you position and how the email was worded, personally I think you would have grounds for unfair dismissal if you got sacked.

 

[sterobbo01]

"They may be charging you to offset the fees that the state charges them"



Good point Facetious, as long as they are not charging you for it and dumping it in a field somewhere!!!

 

[Castlemaine]

I don't see why this would be anything to get so pissed off about, for your company. One of their clients is doing something nefarious, which relates to your business, and they've had the whistle blown.

If anything, your business should be stomping of the auto company.

 

[sterobbo01]

I agree!!!

 

[nolefan]

not worried if the high ups are pissed at me for complaining about something I think is shady business. I just want do not want to be fired because my company feels I have jeopardized a large account of theirs. these company now of days just seem to be more worried about revenue not ethics.

 

[Legzman]

these company now of days just seem to be more worried about revenue not ethics.

Don't even get me started on this about my company...

 

[Friday on my mind]

If you can document what they are doing is illegal in court and you are fired somehow as a result of complaining about the illegality of it you will have a GREAT case to sue your employer for the dismissal.Now if what they are doing is just not exactly telling the truth to customers about what the fee is for but their is no specific law saying they can't charge the fee for the reason given then yes as an employee who divulged info determental to your employers biz he could probably fire you.BTW they never cared more about ethics than money lol.

 

[slickone]

That's a good question. I've Googled this, and it turns out Florida is an at-wills state. That means your employer can fire you for any reason, or no reason at all. It means you can be fired for wearing the wrong color socks to work, and I am not kidding.

Don't worry too much, though. There are exceptions. Obviously, you can't be fired for belong to a certain race, religion, etc. You can't be fired for a few other reasons as well ("protected classes").

In your case, however, Florida appears to have a whistle-blower law, which protects employees from being fired for speaking up. In this case, all you have done is point out something illegal done by another company. If you pointed out illegal acts of your own company, under Florida's laws, you should be protected. Here's the catch: you didn't point out any illegal acts on behalf of your company. You pointed out illegal acts done by another company. That, technically, does not grant you any protection under Florida's laws, it appears.
Here's what I found from the Broward County Bar Association website:

Although Florida's Whistle-Blower law should stop employers from lashing out against employees who object to wrongdoing or report it, many workers claim that their efforts to force ethical employer behavior have led to demotions, firings and other types of punishment.

If you are fired, and you sue your company, let's hope their lawyers aren't clever enough to point out you whistle-blowing wasn't against them; it was against another company. Let's also hope that you are not fired at all, because regardless of how much you like your job, it is too much of a fight to get it back. In the case of at least one man in Florida, he got over 300, 000 for fighting back. There are more examples available at the Bar Association's website here:

http://www.browardbar.org/articles/166.htm