Co-Worker is Telling Lies About Me at Work

So i have a coworker that i use to be friends with that is trying to get my boss to hate me by bring things that have happened outside of work to work. This lady does nothing but gossip about me and my personal life and is making up things trying to get my boss to hate me. My question is can i be fired for things that are happening outside of work with me and her. I mean she is just as much at fault as i am the only thing is i'm not bringing my personal life and problems to work and discussing them? I know people gossip and theres nothig that can be done about that but can my boss fire me just because she may or may not like me and not have a good reason for firing me?

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My question is can i be fired for things that are happening outside of work with me and her.

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well, you refused to provide the state this involves like asked so, in a general answer; yes, they can



actually, they don't need a reason to fire you. They can just say; bye!!

There's some things you can be fired for....like if your co-worker claims you are smoking pot or doing coke, then your employer can send you for a drug test. If you fail, yes....you can be fired.

If it is just petty gossip....your co-worker may be more on the chopping block than you. Or you can still be too, as you are likely as At Will Employee. By "At Will"....you can be fired for any reason except Protected Reasons, like race, color, nationality, age, sex, disability....

If you have a Union....see your Steward.

Otherwise, I would just ignore it, work hard, and hope.

If your co-worker says you're using drugs and the employer finds the allegation credible, as a general rule the employer can fire you, no drug test required. (There are a handful of states with funky rules about off-duty drug use, so I can't say that's universal.)

A lot of places even have questions on job applications....if you knew your co-worker had a beer at home after work, would you report it....and a beer is not an illegal substance....

...but did you know to some places...Salvation Army, for example, you cannot even use a cough syrup that contains alcohol?

pandy, you do know that in MI the employer can rule your life, right? Did you ever hear about the company owner that required all of his employees to stop smoking, including off work hours or be terminated? That was taken to the MI Supreme court. Company owner won.

This is for the OP:

If you live in any state but Montana, you can be fired for any reason not specifically prohibited by law, including that your co-worker told a lie about you and/or that your supervisor doesn't like you. If you live in Montana, and have worked there less than six months, the same is true. ONLY if you live in Montana AND have worked for this employer for longer than six months or the company-designated probationary period, if different, does the at-will doctrine not apply. The sole exception would be if you had a legally binding and enforceable contract that expressly said otherwise.

Of course, the same is also true for your co-worker.

JK...that was a hospital, I believe....

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Quoting PandorasBox

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JK...that was a hospital, I believe....

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they are a third party medical benefits administrator in Okemos Mi.

Weyco Inc.

and since there is no law preventing an employer from firing you in most states without a reason, using this method, the employer can actually require you to do just about anything if you want to retain your job.

Actually it was a health benefits administrator.

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and since there is no law preventing an employer from firing you in most states without a reason, using this method, the employer can actually require you to do just about anything if you want to retain your job.

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...and this is one of the many reasons I'm of the opinion that work is work and private life is private life, and crossing those streams is often a recipe for disaster.

OP, I would suggest you have a quick word with your bosses, along the lines of "We used to be friends, now we're not, and I don't intend to drag any of this to work." Then shut up, keep your head down, and work your tail off.