If you are accused of domestic violence can you be fired?

Ray Rice has gone on attack. Last month, the former Baltimore Raven was suspended from the NFL after a video showing him hitting his then-fiancee was made public.  Rice has filed an appeal against his termination as well as filing a grievance over the Ravens for terminating his contract. If the courts rule in his favor, not only with Ray Rice be able to play football again, but he could receive $3.52 million from the Ravens.

Is this fair? That’s not for us to say. But it does bring up a good legal question: If you are accused of domestic violence can you be fired?

Let’s say you got into a fight with your significant other. It was severe enough that police came to your home and your partner decided to press domestic violence charges against you, even though you never harmed him/her. Your employer learns of the incident. Will you be fired? Well as mentioned previously, you can be fired for any reason in New Jersey as long as it doesn’t violate an agreement, is a form of discrimination or is retaliation. So yes, you may lose your job because of the abuse claim.

Now let’s change the scenario. Let’s say you are an abuse victim and your employer learns of it. Does this put your job in risk? It may be in New Jersey. In fact, only six states in the United States bar employers from firing domestic violence victims. However, the laws are slowly changing. Just recently, New Jersey passed a law which allows domestic violence victims to go on unpaid leave from their job for up to 20 days to deal with the issues. Many employers might choose this option instead of firing someone.

If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence in your home, there is help for you. For more than 25 years, the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone has been fighting for the rights of domestic violence victims. Please contact us today for a free consultation.