Dismissed or not?

[concernednia]

My situation is somewhat confusing. I work in a hotel in Iowa and in the past week, there was a theft of money. As the General Manager, I suggested to the owner that he call the local police and report this money missing. I have spoken to the detective and agreed to cooperate fully with the investigation. This morning, I arrived at work and the owner would not barely speak to me. I had to leave in the afternoon to go to the police station to speak to the detective on this matter. When I returned, I was informed by one of the housekeepers that there had been a housekeeping meeting at 2:00 (twenty minutes before I was done speaking with the detective) where it had been announced that I was no longer employed at the hotel and had been fired. All housekeepers were present at this meeting and verified that this was said.
I attempted to contact the owner of the hotel several times. When he finally called me back, I told him I was calling to determine if I was still employed with him. He said I was not fired, but I should take the next couple days off because he would not be back at the hotel until Saturday (he lives in another state). He said that I would be paid for the days off, and he would call on Saturday and let me know when to come in so we could "discuss the way things are going."
When I spoke to the detective, he said he had no reason to believe that I was involved with theft and he would speak to the owner and tell him that I had basically been cleared. The other issue is that I am currently eight months pregnant and the stress the situation is putting on me is causing me severe stress.
My question is if it has been announced to staff in a meeting that I am no longer employed at the hotel, do I have a legal leg to stand on as far as my employment is concerned? Also, can I not request that the owner speak to me concerning whatever it is we are to discuss on Saturday so that the worry is not causing me addtional stress? The theft issue does not really concern me simply because I believe the police will handle the situation and I have agreed to take a polygraph test. I truly do not want my job back at the hotel just because the owner "let go" of the former GM in a very similar manner and called her when he was on the road to fire her because he didn't want to do it face to face.
Sorry I know it is a lot of information, but I don't really know what to do. I was also wondering what the law was regarding salaried employees final paychecks. Our pay period started on the 11th and ends on the 24th. The owner has agreed to pay for Thursday and Friday and I have worked the rest of the week. Will he be required to pay me for the entire two week pay period or just the first week?

[cbg]

if it has been announced to staff in a meeting that I am no longer employed at the hotel, do I have a legal leg to stand on as far as my employment is concerned?

If by this you mean, is it illegal for him to announce that you are no longer employed, no, it is not. He didn't accuse you of anything; he simply said you no longer worked there. For all anyone knows by this, you quit. The other employees have to know if you aren't going to be there any longer.

Also, can I not request that the owner speak to me concerning whatever it is we are to discuss on Saturday so that the worry is not causing me addtional stress?

You can request it. It's up to him whether to grant the request or not.

Will he be required to pay me for the entire two week pay period or just the first week?

You must be paid for all the time you actually work. If you are in fact no longer employed, you need not be paid for any time beyond the last day you actually worked. If his intent is not to fire you but to suspend you, that would be a different story.

[bears00]

It is possible for the announcement to have been made so that the rest of the employees, and the true thief, will think that you have been the one stealing. If the true thief has a pattern, and they think that you are being blamed, they may continue this pattern even after your absence, which would prove your innocence.

Just wait and hear what your boss has to say. They could be baiting the hook for the true thief.

As far as the polygraph goes, your employer cannot require it (Employee Polygraph Protection Act), nor can the police. You can, however, volunteer it to the police.

Also, once you are cleared, have the police put in writing that they have cleared you of any wrongdoing in the matter, and that pursuant to a criminal investigation, you volunteered for and passed a polygraph examination administered by them . If you are fired and it turns out for a crime that you didn't commit, you will never get the owner of the hotel to admit that to a future employer.