Can I get fired if my boss found out that I applied for another job?

I've been working at a sell-side research as an ER associate at an MM IB for 7-8 months and I found out about a buy-side analyst position that I applied for abt 2 weeks ago that basically offers better pay and less hours. Now I don't think that I'm going to get the position, but I've recently found out that one of the analysts who works at the firm I'm applying to is on my boss/senior analyst's contact list (along with 50-60+ other buyside PMs/analysts).

So I'm starting to get a little worried. Is it possible that one day, sooner or later, this analyst may get on the phone with my boss and mention "oh by the way, is XYZ one of your associates? He just happened to apply for a job at OUR firm and we didn't take him." ??

So if the boss were to find out, could I get screwed/fired for looking for another job? I mean, I'm performing well at the bank and I like my position but I didn't see the harm in applying for another post that could give greater pay and less hours. And it's not as if I was applying to a competitor (like applying to a different sellside shop). As far as I know, an employer shouldn't be able to dismiss someone for seeking a new job, since that's a basic human freedom AFAIK. Any comments or ideas?

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I've had a boss that took my job search very personally and he asked that I resign immediately. I have also had a boss that was upset that I didn't tell him I was disgruntled at work. He bent over backwards to see that my responsibilities were changed to something more fulfilling.

... So I think it will depend on your boss.

I am not legal expert --- but most of us are employed "at will" --- which I understand to mean that our employers can pretty much do whatever they want.

 

As long as you fill your work obligations, as far as I am concerned, job seeking is personal. There is nothing wrong with working and wanting better opportunities. If your boss has got any homo sapient pedigree, he should understand. If not, I'm not sure you want to work for the guy at all.

 

Right, that's if they like you. If they don't you can easily get fired. And if you can't prove this was the reason for it, you can't sue them. That's more or less what happened to me. Why my boss didn't like is another story and my own fault. So now I'm down to applying for college student jobs... so degrading.

 
Best Response

It is actually quite legal for an employer to fire you for seeking new employment, you cannot sue them for anything, unless you can prove it was for a reason other than you not working to your highest degree of ability, or discriminiation of some variety. You can litterally walk into work tommorow, and be fire because they think your tie doesn't match the store. Or they can just glance up and say, "You're fired, out, now."

Unless you can prove...which would be expensive and difficult, that you were discriminated against on the personal, not business level, you have no legal standing. As far as I know this is true for all employers, as you must sign an employed at will contract, which basically says, unless they break some -specific- law, you can't sue them. So if they go, "Well, your skin isn't quite right, go home." -Then- you can sue them, but most anything beyond that is free game for an employer.

Your only recourse would be a union if you have it, as they can avoid the actual law suit by putting pressure on your employer to not fire you. But really, all they have to do is watch you closely and wait for your work to not be -perfect- then fire you, so..... Like they said, it depends on your boss -if- you'll be fired, not if he's -allowed- to fire you.

 

Employee at will ... he can dismiss you for any reason or no reason at all (okay, not ANY reason). You can leave for no reason at all. Is the fact that you were applying for another job enough to make him replace you? My guess would be no. I would be worried come bonus time though should your boss find out.

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I'm not sure on this, but I thought it was illegal or unethical to share the identities of job applicants, even between firms? I thought I remember reading that the kid from Yale with the video resume was thinking about suing because whatever bank he was applying to leaked his resume, which is illegal. Someone else care to confirm/refute this?

 

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