Legal Question in Employment Law in North Carolina

My wife is a dentist. She was hired to be an associate dentist in a small practice. After working there for 9 months straight out of school she was given a written "final" warning yesterday stating that she is considered day by day now because she made a mistake in someone's tooth during a procedure. Now she feels as if she has no control over her position and she asked to meet with the owner today and he told her if she does good today he will see her Monday and if she does good Monday then she can continue Tuesday etc. this is not a fair working environment in our eyes and we just started paying back $250,000 in school loans last month. Is there anything illegal about these actions being taken? We moved out while life down to a new state and I left my job that i loved and had for 5 years because of her dental position and have yet to find a new one. We feel so stuck and scared about our loans. My wife's face has been printed on ads all over the city for this dentist office and now she is worried of the embarrassment of being fired after all of this hard work and life changing events we went through for this. What can we do?


Asked on 2/17/12, 4:33 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
John Kirby Law Offices of John M. Kirby

You might want to consult with an attorney and provide him or her with more information to better respond to this question. In North Carolina, unless an employee has a contract for employment, then he or she can be terminated for almost any reason (except for certain types of discrimination). Some states have ruled that where an employee moves from another location to accept a position, that there is an expectation of continued employment; North Carolina, however, has generally refused to recognize that doctrine. The issue of the billboards may raise other issues, such as the employer's right to use her image. You and your wife may be well-served to meet with a lawyer in your area to discuss this issue further. (I happen to reside in 27613 myself.)

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Answered on 2/17/12, 6:53 am


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