fired without cause

[samc]

I am new to this site so forgive me if I am doing this wrong. I worked as a supervisor for a big manufacturing company for 3 years. Back about 3 months ago the company announced that they were changing the 401k retirement, and the employee's would be fully vested after 2 years starting Jan.1, 2008. Well luck have it I was fired on Dec. 10, 2007, 2 1/2 weeks before the policy changed. I had never had a disiplinary action nor had I ever been wrote up for anything. On the day they called be into the office they said I was not performing my job duties as described in the handbook and I was gone. I was paid my 180 hours of vacation that I had not taken but lost the 160 hours of sick leave. You see I had not used any of either this year and none of the sick leave in 3 years I was maxed out on both. My question is, since I was paid my vacation pay didn't I technically work for the company until after Jan. 1, 2008 and therefore be entitled to all of my retirement???

 

[seniorjudge]

If you are in an at-will state and you do not have an employment contract, then you can be fired for any or no reason.

 

[samc]

I know I can be fired for any reason, my question is; since the company changed the vested 401K policy to go into effect Jan 1 and I was fired Dec 10 but paid 180 hours of vacation time, shouldn't I get all of the vested retirement??

 

[cbg]

Laws on 401k plans and vesting are VERY heavily regulated at the Federal level. The fact that they paid out your vacation does NOT mean that you are entitled to full vesting under a policy that did not go into effect until after your termination.