Losing your job can be an overwhelming burden to bear for any individual, especially when bills start adding up and there is no way for you to make your payments. While some people lose their job after a company downsizes, or they were fired for misconduct or poor work quality, others lose their job without having a good understanding of a reason. Sadly, wrongful termination of employment is not uncommon, and it is defined as an employee being released from employment for an unjust cause. Wrongful termination comes in many different forms, for example, say a manager decides to let you go even though you have a set contract time period of employment, while they may not be “out to get you”, the contract was breached and therefore makes it wrongful termination.
There are many events in which an employer will dismiss an employee as an act of discrimination or retaliation, making it more a personal act rather than a professional one. Discrimination can either be for your physical appearance: height, weight, color, sex or even your religious beliefs, nationality or sexual orientation. Retaliation is considered to be when an employee has a personal vendetta against an employee, in many situations this happens after an employee has filed a complaint for prior discrimination acts or harassments. As a means of attempting to cover up these accusations an employer will fire the employee, though it clearly illegal to do so.
In the event a boss asks their employee to commit illegal acts such as falsifying taxes, purchases, illegal side jobs, etc. and the employee refuses, it would be an act of retaliation if the employee was fired. If an employee were to report any illegal acts, they are protected by the law under whistleblower laws. These laws specifically claim that no employee may be terminated for reported any illegal or inappropriate acts within the workplace. A whistleblower is taking a very courageous step to report the wrongful acts of their company, and because of that the government wants to make sure that no unlawful actions are taken against them in retaliation for honoring the laws.
Wrongful termination is unjust on so many levels, because every person here in this country has the right to receive equally opportunity employment. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is a federal organization that seeks to protect the rights of all employees in the country, and while many companies may not abide by these laws, you do have rights, and it is important to know that! If you or someone you know has been wrongfully terminated, or is even receiving threats for termination, consider contacting an employment attorney as soon as possible. AtThe Federal Practice Group we have years of experience helping our clients fight for their rights and we want to help you reach a fair settlement in the matter. Call us today for more information and to discuss your case.
