'How is this even legal?': Boss refuses to let coworker leave, gets him fired from new job and back to his old job

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Nov 14, 2023 8:00 AM EST

Welcome to the working world, where even your former bosses think that they're always in charge of you well after you leave. What happened to this security officer, unfortunately, is not an industry-specific experience. No matter what field you're in, you have probably dealt with a supervisor who thinks it's okay to call you whenever they'd like or who has even tried to manipulate you to stay as their underling until the end of time. Even at 22, I knew that it was not cool for my former employer to call me with a non-real "crisis" at 10 pm on a Saturday night. It did not take long for me to realize that I need to get the heck out of that job as soon as possible.

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  • 01
    SECURITY
    via Rayner Simpson

  • This thread was posted to Reddit by u/mightymitch1, who worked as a security officer for an agency. His coworker was offered a better-paying job doing the same thing somewhere else. He did what anyone else in his position would do: he put in his notice and left. He even went out of his way to offer up another qualified candidate to take his place, but his former boss was not having it. This guy sabotaged OP's coworker by accusing him of poaching employees, thereby turning his new boss against him. This left OP's coworker with nowhere else to go but his former boss's agency. Now, does he actually have nowhere to go? No. This guy needs to remember that there will always be another job, another place, and a better boss out there somewhere. But first, he has to get out from under his boss's thumb. 

    Keep scrolling below for the full story. For more, check out this post about a shady landlord getting exactly what he deserved.

  • 02
    Boss stopped coworker from getting a better job. Is this legal? We work in Illinois as security. It's one guy in a booth checking people in/out. We do not work for the actual store but are contracted out through a security company.
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 03
    So my coworker was offered another job by a guy coming through. He accepted it as it paid more. The job he accepted was with another company that is also subcontracted through the store.
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 04
    Coworker calls the boss to tell him he's putting in his two weeks, he even has a friend lined up to take his position to make things easier on our boss. Boss throws a fit on the phone when he finds out he was offered a job on shift. My
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 05
    buddy works for the new company for one day and then gets a call from his new boss saying the previous boss said he was poaching his employees and that he won't allow that. And now my coworker is back working the original security job. The security boss basically screwed him over. How is this even legal?
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 06
    BetaPositiveSCI. 17 hr. ago This is why you never, EVER tell your boss where you're going. Lie to them about if necessary. 868 Reply Share
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 07
    00 mightymitch1 OP. 17 hr. ago Yeah that's what my coworker and I concluded on. He would've had the job if he didn't tell the boss where he was going 297 Reply Share
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 08
    BetaPositiveSCI. 17 hr. ago Yeah, probably. Next time I wouldn't even give notice if I were him. Just stop showing up and start the new job. 150 Reply Share
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 09
    00 mightymitch1 OP. 17 hr. ago Well the jokes on him because he's always asking us to cover other people's shifts. Sometimes we wonder what his job is even besides finding people to cover sick call ins 99 Reply Share
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 10
    Antares284 16 hr. ago . Lawyer here. It's not legal. It's called "tortious interference with an advantageous business relationship." Your friend ought to sue the J. 4 425 Reply Share
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 11
    mightymitch1 OP. 16 hr. ago I'll definitely have him look into it. The guy is something else doing this 144 Reply Share
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 12
    mckenziemcgee. 15 hr. ago Judges generally do not look kindly upon employers flexing like this either. 121 Reply Share
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 13
    mightymitch1 OP • 15 hr. ago Right, like the guy is just trying to better himself and not live paycheck to paycheck ↑ 81 Reply Share
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 14
    Naps_and_cheese 17 hr. ago It's not. Employment interference is a thing. And actually, the "new" employer may be in an actionable position, as hiring them and immediately firing them could be considered promissory estoppel. It was a reasonable promise. "Come work for me, I'll pay you more." "Sure, let me quit my job first" "Do that." "Ok, I quit, I can work for you now." "Psyche! loser." 158 you, Reply Share ...
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 15
    magikarp-sushi. 16 hr. ago Consult a lawyer is my only advice. They will know better and what might cost you a little fee to find out that information could end up getting you a return for the difficulty. Investigate it further. 103 Reply Share
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 16
    mightymitch1 OP 16 hr. ago I would if it was me, but I'll definitely pass on to my coworker he should call a lawyer and see what they say
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 17
    whoinvitedthesepeopl. 17 hr. ago Don't want your employees to leave? Give them decent pay, benefits and working conditions and they won't.
    via u/mightymitch1
  • 18
    Freeman421 13 hr. ago Soo Right to Work is literally just Right to Fire If we had the right to work "poaching" wouldn't exist. It's called competition.
    via u/mightymitch1

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