I was kicked out during the orientation

Question

I was offered a full time job that i did not take and i refused it and I requested for a part time. I called and i asked since the director didn’t reply to my email or message and i was told that the job still available and i can come for paperwork. I went for paper work and signed everything with county I-9 and have received my rights as part timer. However, I schedule my orientation with the county service and was supposed to start orienting today. I went to the orientation and met with the person who I’m supposed to meet so we go through the orientation. There was the director in the same room and after saying hi, i was asked to go with director to his office which i did. Then the director asked me why I rejected his offer for a full time job and I explained my personal opinions and he stood up and said “i think you should go.” He did not give me any reasons why i was rejected the part time. He took everything personally although i paid respects and still showed up and wanted to work for the county. My question is, what should i do? I was humiliated and wasted my time driving there twice which was 2 hours round trip. Should i file complaint to the county? Should i seek redemption through the court? I really feel very bad about this.

Answer 1

You can always complain to the county. It is not obvious from your description that you have a legal case. One reading of the circumstances is that you did not have a job offer, you went there on the assumption that you might get an official offer after being "oriented" and interviewed. The interview did not go well, so they did not give you the job. Time and travel expenses are often borne by the job candidate.

The alternative interpretation is that you had an actual job offer, and you traveled to the site as part of your employment (involving some training). In that first session, things went bad, and you got fired. If that is the case, then (a) you would be owed wages for that day and (b) there is a slim chance that the firing was not legal (there could be restrictions on firing employees in government jobs, in whatever jurisdiction this is). Your attorney will guide you (after you giving a more detailed explanation of the circumstances) in understanding whether you were fired, or not hired.