Being terminated from a job doesn’t feel good–you put your all into your work only to be left out in the cold. You may find yourself doubting your abilities, the quality of your work, and how you conduct yourself.
Besides being a blow to one’s self-esteem, getting fired can cause significant disruption in their life. They will have no source of income until they find another job, which could take a while. In the meantime, they fall behind on bills and are unable to fulfill their basic needs.
What is even worse is if they didn’t deserve to be fired in the first place, and their employer terminated their employment wrongfully
At-will employment
Most employers follow the “employment at will” doctrine. This doctrine says that when an employer hires someone, they both agree that the terms and conditions of employment can change at any time for any reason.
This essentially means that the employer can fire their employees without giving a reason, and that employees, in turn, can quit without giving a reason.
What is considered wrongful termination?
While at-will employment is the standard at most employers, there are some exceptions to this rule that could be grounds for wrongful termination.
- If someone is fired due to their race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, citizenship, veteran status, or sexual orientation
- If someone is fired for doing something the law says they can do without fear of retaliation, like being a whistleblower
- If someone is fired for filing a claim for workers’ compensation, employment discrimination, OSHA, and others
- If someone is fired for serving in the military
- If someone is fired for fulfilling jury duty
- If someone is fired for voting
- If someone is fired for engaging union activity
- If someone is fired for refusing to commit a criminal act
- If someone’s termination violates an express employment agreement
Were you wrongfully terminated?
If any of the above situations applies to you, you may have grounds to sue your ex-employer for wrongful termination. An experienced employment law attorney can better explain your options and advocate for you in court.
