inquired about health insurance and lost my job

[nike]

I was working for over 8 months and inquired about insurance and that day was told I was let go of. Is this right ? no warning Was told everyone loved me was never late and did everything I was told to do.A friend of mine said I should contact a laywer What do you think?

 

[mistysue]

It wouldn't hurt to contact a lawyer and find out the rules where you live.
The important difference will by why they say you are let go and what sort of documentation they have. If there is a way to show they weren't already planning to let you go, yes that is a big deal. It sounds unlikely, but it could always just be a strange coincidence.

File for unemployment though, if nothing else get that.

 

[dizluvah]

depends on your state - some states are employment "at will" which means they don't need any reason to let you go

Edited to add I did a quick google search and NY state is an employment at will state - no reason is needed to let you go - you can read more labor.ny.gov - I found answer in FAQ section...

 

[girli565]

What was their reasoning for letting you go? Were other people let go as well, either right before or after you?

 

[Marionnette]

I was working for over 8 months and inquired about insurance and that day was told I was let go of. Is this right ? no warning Was told everyone loved me was never late and did everything I was told to do.A friend of mine said I should contact a laywer What do you think?

Did they come right out and tell you that you were fired because you asked about health insurance? It doesn't sound right. I think that something is missing from the story.

 

[iheartpeterpan]

This is right from the NY Dept of Labor website so I doubt contacting a lawyer will do you any good, unless you work in Jersey or something...:

Q: Can you fire an employee without due cause?

A: Yes. New York State is an "employment-at-will," state. If there is no contract to restrict firing (like a collective bargaining agreement) an employer has the right to discharge an employee at any time for any reason. This also protects the employee's right to resign. An employer may fire an employee for "no reason." An employer may also fire an employee for a reason that might seem arbitrary and unfair. The employee is equally free to quit at any time without needing to explain or defend that decision.
There are a few exceptions to "employment-at-will." The most significant of these are laws, enforced by the New York State Division of Human Rights, which prohibit discrimination based on:

Race
Creed
National origin
Age
Handicap
Gender
Sexual orientation
Marital status

For more information about how the New York State Division of Human Rights proceeds against unlawful forms of discrimination, go to: http://www.nysdhr.com

 

[nike]

No one else was let go I was told that I was not learning fast enough I was 2 days at frontdesk and 2 days in the back assisting the Doctoror Everything was fine until I asked about the insurance. This was a very small and money was always an issue. I had did an intership for about 3 weeks that was not included in the 8 months. After 6 month I was suppose to get insurance It just makes me wonder If I had asked then would I been let go then

 

[nunzia]

Did they come right out and tell you that you were fired because you asked about health insurance? It doesn't sound right. I think that something is missing from the story.

I agree. Either the company offers insurance and wouldn't have a problem about giving it to someone on their qualification date, or they don't and would just say so.

 

[disykat]

It sounds like poor bookkeeping etc. on their part. They aparently hadn't realized you'd passed your six month probationary period? It sounds to me like, for whatever reason, (not wanting to pay benefits or not liking your work) they didn't plan on keeping you after the probationary period was up.

You said money was an issue for them. I think I'd assume they didn't have the money to pay for benefits and had to let you go.

 

[roadtripper]

Unfortunately, most workers in the US have very few rights when it comes to being fired. Now we're even trying to erode the rights of those with collective bargaining agreements. I'm so sorry for you--that stinks. I hope things get better soon.

 

[nike]

It was never offered to me after 6 month I was told at the interview. I am just upset and shocked
Just wanting to vent and see everyone opinion

 

[leahjade]

Unless you had a contract, employment is an "at will" basis which means you can quit at anytime and they can let you go at any time. Employers don't have to offer you health insurance - they could have just said "no" when you asked, so it seems like you were let go after a probationary period. I would just move on.

 

[MichiganKris]

It won't hurt to call a labor attorney, but as other's have said it probably won't do any good either. Good Luck!

 

[nike]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I need some outside look at it. Everyone I speak to is upset because I am upset. I am so shocked that I cry alot.I am not contacting a lawyer at this time. Just seems fishy to me. I worked my butt off for this place. Employment is not what it was years ago Everyone is replaceable by 20 other people waiting for the job. Thanks again .. just need to vent and cry a little bit more.

 

[Free4Life11]

The timing sounds odd but in all honesty, there is not much more you can do beyond filing for unemployment. Unless you have something in writing, it's pretty much your word vs. theirs. I'm so sorry, I know it's horrible to lose a job unexpectedly! But make sure you file for unemployment, it doesn't matter if you were "fired" the worst they can do is deny your claim and even then you can often fight it.

I think it so wrong for these job killers to not be honest and upfront with people. If they had no intention of keeping you past the probationary period they should have made it clear from the get go that it was a TEMP job.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I am sorry this happened to you. It does seem like a bad coincidence.

As others have said, file for unemployment.

Also I did this for my ds in NY. Look into the health insurance options offered by the state if you really need health insurance. I think at the time I enrolled him in the Healthy NY option. It was expensive and we paid for it for him since he was unemployed at the time but didnt want him to be without health insurance. It was from NY Blue Cross/BS and the state of NY.

I would check out all the programs that could be available to you that you would qualify for based on your loss of income.

Best of luck in finding a new job. Sounds like you are really a hard worker,reliable etc. Make sure you say those things in your interviews.

Wishing you all the best.

 

[luvthemouse71]

OP, that sucks. Unfortunately, doctors offices can be rough to work for, because you at the whims of a few people. Many don't pay well- the reason why many RNs don't work in offices anymore is because the doctors would rather hire Medical Assistants do they can pay them like crap.

Might not seem like it now, but you may be better off in the long run.

 

[clh2]

What was the purpose of the internship - and was it a paid internship?

This is a "hot" topic right now - and I just (maybe this week) read an article about internships and whether they should be paid, unpaid, and who benefits from the internship.

Quite possibly this was in the New York Times - because I see the online articles.

If anything - I would pursue getting backpay for this internship. Sounds like it may have been more of a training for you than an internship!

 

[drinkme]

That stinks!!

I had a job once that either fired or cut hours for people based on who was getting insurance (alot of the women were on their husband's insurance so they didn't get insurance through the company). I was cut down to part time and I was told this was because I was getting insurance.

The best thing you can do is just file for unemployment. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. I'm sure you'll find something better.

 

[sadiebug]

When you file your unemployment claim make sure that you document everything that you have mentioned here in detail.

I worked for Unemployment here in Colorado, and we are also an "at will" state, but it does matter on your claim the reason you are no longer working. If it was due to a "layoff", then you would be eligible for unemployment. If it's due to you quitting or being fired, then you may not receive anything.

What typically happens is that you are given an opportunity to say why you are no longer working, and your employer is also given that same opportunity. If both parties label it a layoff, then benefits typically are awarded fairly quickly. However, it doesn't sound like your employer is going to play nice and label this a layoff and you may have to fight it and go through the appeals process. Good luck to you!!