CAN MY EMPLOYER FIRE ME IF I AM ABSENT FROM WORK FOR ONE DAY?
Yes, your employer can fire you for being absent from work, even if you are only absent for one day. Connecticut is an at-will employment state, which means that your employer can fire you for a good reason, a bad reason, an incorrect reason or even no reason at all. There are limitations on at-will employment, however, your employer cannot fire you for being absent from work for one day if your absence would be covered under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). To be covered under the FMLA, your absence must be related to a “serious health condition” of yourself, your child, your parents or your spouse. A person with hypertension, for example, likely would be covered under the FMLA if he told his employer that he would be absent from work because his blood pressure was extremely high. Many employers also have company policies and procedures governing your attendance which may limit their ability to fire you if you are absent for only one day.