What should I do if my employer places me on unpaid leave for an ethics investigation without telling me the reason?

Employment

Liz

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In most states, employment is "at-will," meaning an employer can terminate an employee for any reason, except for illegal reasons such as discrimination or retaliation. However, being placed on unpaid leave without a clear reason might raise questions about the fairness of the process. While private employers are not required to provide due process, many companies have internal policies that outline procedures for handling investigations. Ensuring that these procedures are followed is important for fairness. It also could bring up issues of discrimination if they are targeting you for something like religion, age, race, gender, disability, or something like that.

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I'm a property manager for a very large real estate firm. I've been put on unpaid administrative leave as of Friday for an internal ethics and compliance investigation due to allegations against me. I have no idea what this is about, and they haven't told me. I've been doing property management for over 25 years and have never been accused of anything. I have an 11:30 a.m. call tomorrow with HR to further discuss, at which time I will find out what it's about. I don't know what to do. I'm so confused and stressed about this.

Lexi, Chatbot

I'm sorry to hear about the stress you're experiencing with this situation. Have you received any formal documentation regarding the allegations or the investigation?

I received a leave letter telling me I was being put on leave for the investigation, but it said nothing about why.

Lexi, Chatbot

Have you had a chance to consult with a lawyer or legal advisor about your rights and options in this matter?

No, that's why I'm here.

Lexi, Chatbot

Is there anything else the lawyer should know before I connect you? Rest assured, they'll be able to help with your ethics investigation.

Yes.

Liz

Hi there! Welcome. My name is Liz, and I've been an attorney for more than a decade, and I am here to assist with your legal concerns. Just so you are aware, our service is a legal information-only site. No attorney-client relationship is formed from our conversation. So I can best help, do you have a contract with the firm?

No, I'm just an employee.

Liz

I'm Liz. It's lovely to meet you! Do you know of any complaints that were made?

Tenants complain all the time. There are a couple of possibilities, but none to warrant putting me on leave without pay. Otherwise, I have no idea what this is about.

Liz

Got it, thanks for sharing that. Have they asked you any questions yet?

Not yet. I have an 11:30 call tomorrow to further discuss, and I'll find out then. I know to answer only their questions and not elaborate or apologize (my best friend is Chief of HR at her company, and we've spoken at length, but she recommended I speak with a lawyer). I don't know what else to do. I love my job, and I don't want to lose it, but it feels like they are not going to let me come back.

Liz

Do you think anything about it could be discriminatory?

Honestly, I have no idea. One possibility is a resident who wanted to transfer to another unit, but she just signed her renewal, and we don't allow transfers if the lease is active. Hers doesn't end until September 2026. She's also Jewish. After a few back and forth emails where she yelled at me for not allowing her to transfer and that my former Assistant PM "should give me lessons," she finally stated she had a medical note to transfer. I acknowledged if that was the case, of course it wouldn't be a problem to transfer, I would just need a copy of the doctor's documentation stating such. This is standard protocol. I never slandered her in any way. I wouldn't do that.

Liz

Did her religion ever come up?

Never. I just happened to know she's Jewish because of a former incident with our maintenance team after she requested maintenance. That happened months ago.

Liz

Liz

Have you gone through their internal policies?

I had required training on it when I was onboarding.

Liz

But do you know about their investigation and termination policies?

It was discussed in the training, I'm sure, but I don't remember exactly what it is. Is there something specific I should be asking tomorrow?

Liz

You may want to ask them for copies of all written policies so you can be sure they are actually following procedure.

Okay. I don't know what else I should be asking legally. I've been completely blindsided.

Liz

It can often be a good idea to let them do most of the talking. You may want to focus on things like what timeline they are expecting and what their next steps are.

Okay. Any other advice for handling this? I have never been in this situation.

Liz

Be careful not to let them rush you into anything. If you don't know the answer to something or aren't sure, rushing can often result in saying things that aren't clear or could be used against you.

How should I answer if I'm unsure or unclear?

Liz

You can say something like, "I'm not sure at this time, but I can look into it."

Okay, thanks. I will probably need to speak to a lawyer further after the conversation tomorrow.

Liz

I completely understand. We're always here if you have further questions as well!

Anything else? I'm at a loss here.

Liz

Without knowing what they think the issue is, it's so hard to provide direction. However, it's also good to be careful not to guess. If they ask you what you think this is about, not making any suggestions can force them to tell you.

So if they ask me what I think this is about, I should just answer honestly and say I have no idea, correct?

Liz

Exactly, don't guess. Your friend in HR probably explained this, but HR protects the company, not you. So being guarded with your words is always a good idea.

Okay, thanks.

Liz

You're very welcome. I know this is incredibly stressful, so hang in there.

Thank you.

Liz

You're welcome.

Liz

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