I worked at a franchise bakery when I was in HS. I was dating one of the shift managers for about two years with no issue (the owner knew about this from the start). There was literally no benefit to dating the shift manager as we worked opposite schedules, literally a $2 difference in our pay.
Our owner lived 30 minutes away and did not work there. He would come down and see us about 2x per year. One day when the owner was going to be there, my boyfriend's car wouldn't start, and so I drove him to open. Bf usually got there at 10:00 and didn't clock in til his shift started at 10:30. Due to the delay from having to get a ride, I got him there right at 10:30 and owner was irritated and already waiting. I didn't work that day, so I left.
I got a text from the owner the same night saying he was firing both boyfriend and me for our “lack of effort in trying to put on a good impression for him, as it's telling that we must be this way with customers.” He also said it was “unprofessional” for me to drive him to work as it was the act of a girlfriend, not an emloyee, whatever that means. He never even texted boyfriend to fire him. I had to tell my boyfriend he was fired. I tried to call him to ask him to explain and be blocked my number.
This was 8 years ago, and I just ran into someone who worked there for a while after us who told me that our owner was under such fire for firing us that he said we stole money from the store. The company was steps away from taking a criminal investigation out into us at one point until his story crumbled and the shop was removed from his ownership.
I wish I could go back in time and tell that young girl to tear that man apart. They violated so many laws (in every way, right down to having no food safe certification in the whole 3 years I was there) and I was just too young to know better. To think I was so close to being criminally investigated right under my nose! Absolutely insane. Never stay in a place where you feel treated unfairly. Sometimes there may really be something you can do.