Recently I have parted ways with my job, it was mutual but the official verdict is that I was fired for no call no show. Maybe I could have ended things in a different way, but with how things were going I needed my daylight hours to find somewhere else to work so this is where we are now.
My question is that in the employee handbook that all employees were obligated to sign, there are two sections that are of concern:
- Any unused accrued PTO will be paid to an employee upon termination, whether voluntary or involuntary, as long as the employee has passed the 90-day introductory period.
I have about 60 hours in PTO accrued, so this statement makes me think that receiving my PTO as severance pay is all but guaranteed. Which leads me to..
- This Employee Handbook is not a binding contract between the Company and its employees, nor is it intended to alter the at-will employment relationship between the Company and its employees. The Company reserves the right to interpret the policies in this Handbook and to deviate from them when, in its discretion, it determines it is appropriate.
Does this clause completely screw me over in terms of holding them to what they said? The language here seems like they are allowed to follow this handbook whenever they see fit, and potentially throws my PTO hours to the wind.
Thanks for any replies, feel free to DM me with any questions or responses. I really do need this severance pay to make ends meet before starting my next job, so if this is something I can take to a small claims court and have any shot of winning I am considering it.