Terminated for Interviewing at JetBlue

[ivauir]

Hey Goggles you dont even know me. How do you know I am not a lawyer?

You are giving free advice on the internet ....

 

[PHX767]

How did your company know you were interviewing?

Did you arrange days off for the interview, or use sick days?

 

[bluejuice787]

Guys/Gals,

I am disappointed to report that I was let go from my flying job after serving five+ loyal years of service just for fulfulling a long term professional goal.

The good news is that I was fortunate enough to pass Phase I of the JetBlue interview process and presently waiting to hear the results of Phase II.

Can anyone of the many professional people on this board give me some advice on what to do in the meantime?

Thank You

Do you know for certain that you were fired for interviewing at JB? How did/do they know? Have you ever been disciplined by this company in the past? There are many things you need to have answered.

I would let the process at JB work as it is supposed to. I would suggest that you not try and intervene as this could easily cost you the opportunity at JB. Through the PRIA process you can find out exactly what your previous employer said about you. It is federally protected and any company that is fallicious is subject to criminal penalty and fines.

And to the guy who says that you have no leg to stand on in an "at will" State you do not know what you are talking about.

Juice

 

[Dangerkitty]

Through the PRIA process you can find out exactly what your previous employer said about you. It is federally protected and any company that is fallicious is subject to criminal penalty and fines.

A couple of points bluejuice:

First of all the PRIA only deals with Pilot Records and Performance as a Pilot. It has nothing to do with what a "previous employer said about you." If you will actually read the PRIA maybe you can find this out for yourself.

And to the guy who says that you have no leg to stand on in an "at will" State you do not know what you are talking about.

Juice

My best friend happens to be a Labor Attorney. I have heard Ad Nauseum the ills of living in an "At Will" state. Unless it is a Federal Crime, or you are unionized or working under a contract, you can be hired and fired "AT WILL" For anything. Thats what AT WILL means.

I do know what I am talking about. Sorry you can't say the same.

 

[FN FAL]

Why? If he/she lives in an "At Will" State, he/she can be fired for any reason. A lawyer would do nothing except cost he/she money.

You can get get a good "At Will" attorney at Wal Mart for about 275.00.

 

[Uppercrust]

Maybe they questioned your sanity??

 

[pilotyip]

Good advice here, get some input from Cage Consulting on the proper path. I would not go the lawyer route. It could bring heartburn to your next employer. Stay away from any bad mouthing of the employer who fired you. That also gives a bad taste. Just make a factual statement. You were let go because you interviewed at another company. That alone says volumes about the low life of the company that fired you without getting into name-calling.

 

[Ben Dover]

Dude,
Just because it's an "at will" state doesn't mean they can fire you for no reason.

Read the excerpt below:
...an at-will statement does not really give employers free reign to terminate employees for no reason. There are two reasons for this. First, although every state except Montana recognizes the at-will employment relationship either by court decision or by statute, most also restrict it in some way. Courts in a majority of states have limited its application by allowing the at-will relationship to be restricted under several legal theories. For example, employees have claimed that their employer’s policies were contracts which the employer breached, that their termination violated some public policy, that their termination violated a “whistleblower” statute or statutory anti-retaliation provision; or that the employer’s action constituted a wrongful act (or, in legal jargon, a “tort”). The result is a patchwork of case law that varies from state to state, making it difficult for employers to know when, or if, they can rely on the at-will nature of the relationship.
The second reason for caution is that many employees are specially protected under federal or state discrimination laws, which must be complied with regardless of at-will status. Therefore, if you terminate a protected employee for “no reason” or without following your normal disciplinary process, you are raising a red flag that the termination was for improper or even discriminatory reasons. Thus, you may be provoking a challenge to the termination which otherwise might not have occurred.

 

[onthestreet]

Good advice here, get some input from Cage Consulting on the proper path. I would not go the lawyer route. It could bring heartburn to your next employer. Stay away from any bad mouthing of the employer who fired you. That also gives a bad taste. Just make a factual statement. You were let go because you interviewed at another company. That alone says volumes about the low life of the company that fired you without getting into name-calling.

Ditto

Aviation is a very, VERY, small world. Never let anyone see you be negative. If necessary, go out back and beat your dog, stomp on bugs, throw darts at the ex-bosses picture, do anything to "let it out", do NOT publically acknowledge negative feelings.

Been there, done that, it don't work!

OTS

 

[737 Pylt]

Be careful about "outing" the company. In the process you may inadvertently justify your termination.

Getting even isn't always the best solution. Good luck.

Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this. Surplus is right. Also, don't "bad mouth" your present/past employer, it will make you look bad and make your future employer wonder what they are getting into by hiring you!
737

 

[JP4user]

Maybe they questioned your sanity??

Here we go.

 

[Charlie Brown]

Man, good luck to you. I would let JetBlue know for the reasons stated above. Also in the meantime, you can always get some Federal money and get a 737 type in case B6 doesn't work out. It would also keep your head occupied rather than worry about losing your job. I wish you the best.

 

[Dangerkitty]

Dude,
Just because it's an "at will" state doesn't mean they can fire you for no reason.

Read the excerpt below:
...an at-will statement does not really give employers free reign to terminate employees for no reason. There are two reasons for this. First, although every state except Montana recognizes the at-will employment relationship either by court decision or by statute, most also restrict it in some way. Courts in a majority of states have limited its application by allowing the at-will relationship to be restricted under several legal theories. For example, employees have claimed that their employer’s policies were contracts which the employer breached, that their termination violated some public policy, that their termination violated a “whistleblower” statute or statutory anti-retaliation provision; or that the employer’s action constituted a wrongful act (or, in legal jargon, a “tort”). The result is a patchwork of case law that varies from state to state, making it difficult for employers to know when, or if, they can rely on the at-will nature of the relationship.
The second reason for caution is that many employees are specially protected under federal or state discrimination laws, which must be complied with regardless of at-will status. Therefore, if you terminate a protected employee for “no reason” or without following your normal disciplinary process, you are raising a red flag that the termination was for improper or even discriminatory reasons. Thus, you may be provoking a challenge to the termination which otherwise might not have occurred.

Hey Dude,

If you will re-read some of that fabulous cut and paste job you did you will see that a lot of that post backs up what I am saying.

However, as far as the top half of the paragraph goes I disagree. I will take a Labor Attorney's Professional opinion over an anonymous poster named Ben Dover anyday.

 

[coogebeachhotel]

I think this is the downside of thr PRIA act. It allows employers to target pilots looking for other work.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

People don't mind change, they just don't like being changed.

Let's look at it form a different perspective. You want to leave your current employer for jetblue, you just wanted to do it on your terms...not theirs.

Nonetheless, you are doing what you want to do. Leaving your current employer for jetblue.

So, enjoy the time off and the unemployment that your employer has to pay. Fix the house, go on vacation, get some WIA cash.... watch American Idol. Make the best of it!