And in the example being discussed, there was no mention of discipline so the inference is that this was not "guilty until proven innocent" which is what I was trying to explain to Cactus.
Are They Worried?
- Thread starter MrFedEx
- Start date
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
My experience has been that most of the time FedEx presumes the employee is guilty, especially if the complaint has come from an important customer. You mean nothing, and they'll toss you aside while they see if the issue has merit. If there's any chance FedEx will be sued, good luck on returning to work.
Many years ago, I knew a courier that had a homeless person dart out of a blind alley and into his path. The courier hit the guy, but there wasn't anything he could have done to prevent it. FedEx fired him immediately, no suspension or anything. A week later the police report confirmed that the victim was drunk, had run directly into the courier's path, and that there was no way anyone could have avoided hitting him. The courier gets a lawyer, shows him the police report, and he's back on the job within a week. Please note that the employee had to get an attorney first. FedEx did not hire him back immediately, even though the accident report had totally exonerated the courier.
FedEx is extremely risk averse, and I think they use the "guilty first" philosophy to protect their assets. Not always, but often enough to show a pattern.
LTFedExer
Well-Known Member
Did he TRY to get his job back and THEN have to get an attorney or did he go straight to an attorney?
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Had to go through the attorney. When FedEx figured they'd be on the losing end, they took him back.
Cactus
Just telling it like it is
I'm sure with stuff like that the final decision is in the hands of the legal department.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Exactly. Legal makes many termination decisions. They tell the managers who they can fire and who they cannot.
So he didn't even try to GFT it?
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Yes, he tried to GFT. It was in-process when he was brought back. No GFT decision was made, so I strongly believe that FedEx Legal ordered management to reinstate him immediately. So does he. He wishes now that he did sue for wrongful termination.
I used to date a manager, and she was always completely frustrated that people who deserved to get fired were saved by Legal, and others who probably didn't deserve it, were canned, again per Legal. According to her, every termination had to be directly approved by MEM Legal, and that if the employee was a member of a protected class that they were basically Teflon.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
I think you're right.
