Wrongful termination (or wrongful discharge) occurs when an employee is wrongly fired by his or her employer. It can be based on several theories, such as breach of an employment contract or protection given under the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989.
The employment lawyers at The Cochran Firm have obtained significant verdicts or settlements in a multitude of noteworthy cases. We are equally committed to fighting for your worker rights and ensuring that you are fairly treated and compensated.
At-Will Employees
A majority of workers are employed "at will," which means they do not have a formal employment contract with their employer. This means their employment may be ended at any time. In other cases, workers have signed a written contract that contains an "at will" clause stating an employee can terminate for any reason without cause. But even “at will” employees have certain rights against a wrongful termination and can not be fired for reasons that violate public policy, or the law.
Whistleblower Act
Both state and federal laws prohibit employers from retaliating against their employees (such as firing them) for whistleblowing. Whistleblowing is when employees provide information to the government about their employer’s illegal actions, such as mismanagement or wasting funds.
Constructive Wrongful Termination
There is another form of wrongful termination called “constructive wrongful termination” that occurs when an employer makes the work conditions so horrible that employees are forced to quit. Federal law states that if conditions or treatment of employees are so severe that a reasonable person could not continue working in that environment, the employee may quit and seek damages for their lost wages.
Employment Rights
The law does recognize that employees can not simply quit and then sue their employer; all workers are first required to use every avenue to resolve workplace issues before quitting. Any employee who fails to try and resolve their issue may forgo their ability to collect compensation.
Other forms of wrongful termination include:
- Being fired while on pregnancy or medical leave
- Being retaliated against after filing a sexual harassment or discrimination complaint
- Being retaliated against for complaining about some unlawful workplace practice
- Being sexually harassed
- Being discriminated against or fired because of your race, age, sex, ethnicity, religion, pregnancy, sexual orientation or disability
- Not being compensated for overtime
- Not given lunch breaks or rest breaks
For more information on what constitutes wrongful termination, read more here.
Being without a job in today’s economy is stressful, especially if you were wrongfully terminated. If you believe you were fired without cause or are being retaliated against, please contact the results-driven employment attorneys at The Cochran Firm today. We have offices throughout the United States.