Was I Wrongfully Terminated?!

Sometimes people are terminated by their employers in a way that breaks the law. This is called wrongful termination. The United States has what is called at-will employment. This means that an employer is free to terminate an employee at any time.

The reasons cited may feel unfair to the employee, but it may still be legal. However, in certain circumstances, the employer may have violated the employee’s rights with the termination. If this is the case, the employee can win a lawsuit. Here are five of the top circumstances in which an ex-employee may be able to successfully win a wrongful termination lawsuit.

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1. Discrimination Was Involved

In the United States, certain employees are protected against discrimination based on that class status. These include discrimination based on race, color, ethnic origin, sex, disability, and in certain circumstances age. If you can prove that your termination was based on this kind of discrimination, you can win a wrongful termination lawsuit.

2. Terminated as Retaliation

Society has a strong reason to protect individuals with the courage to speak out against wrong doings in the workplace. With this purpose in mind, certain laws have been enacted to protect people who are “whistleblowers.” For example, you may have noticed a supervisor committing a crime in the work place. If you reported this crime and you were terminated as a result, you could win a lawsuit.

3. Your Contract with Your Employer was Broken

Although rarer than at-will employment, certain employers include requirements that an employee agrees to when they are hired that state than an employee can only be fired with “good cause.” What constitutes this good cause can either be expressly stated or implied in documents or things like handbooks given to employees. If it can be proven that the employer broke these agreements, the ex-employee may have a strong case.

4. Fired Unfairly For Reasons Unrelated to your Performance

Although, your rights as an employee are severely limited under at-will employment, there are still cases where gross unfairness can demonstrate that a wrongful termination has taken place. For example, an employee may have to work a certain period of time before that employee is able to receive certain benefits from his or her employer. If that employee was terminated right before he or she were to receive these benefits for no apparent good reason, wrongful termination can be demonstrated in a court of law.

5. Your Character Was Defamed

In certain cases, an employer may invent reasons to get rid of an employee. For example, if an employer makes a totally false accusation that an employee stole company property in order to terminate that employee for other reasons, wrongful termination can certainly be proven in court.

If any of these five circumstances apply to you and your termination, you should consult with a lawyer to discuss your legal options for getting compensation.