privacy violated

[dnilsso]

My minor daughter was fired from walmart for taking too long of a break. Her boyfriend worked there too and as they were coming back from break, the assistant manger pulled them both back to the office together while cashiers up front watched. They both were taken into the office with the door wide open and were terminated. Four associates stood in the doorway while this was taking place and therefore knew they were getting fired.
They left the store without talking to anyone and by the time she got home 3 people were texting her asking her why she was fired. Later we foung out the same assistant told some of the associates they would not be back to work. Was her right to confidentiality violated and do we have a case?

 

[cbg]

No and no. I'm not saying I agree with how it was handled but the fact that someone was fired is not confidential information.

When your daughter and her boyfriend don't come to work the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, don't you imagine that eventually someone would ask, "Aren't Sharon and Dave working here any more?" What would you have her employers do then, lie?

Saying that they are not coming back to work is true and does not give away any information about why. For all that statement says, the two of them might have quit. If someone overheard or figured out that it was a firing, they might come back and ask, but even if the employer took out a billboard posting that SHARON AND DAVE WERE FIRED TODAY that would not be illegal.