With the year coming to an end, no one wants to celebrate the coming year with a job loss. While there are terms and agreements that go into each hire, the reality is that being terminated is not always straightforward or an unconstrained right of an employer.
A wrongful termination could occur in a wide range of situation, and it may not always be clear when it occurs. As such, it is important that you advocate for your rights as an employee and understand whether a violation occurred in your firing.
Wrongful termination
If your employment is considered to be “at-will” and therefore not guaranteed, you likely function under the belief that your employer could terminate you at any time for any reason, including no reason at all. While this is a legally sound description, the legal team at Morcom Law understands that there are exceptions to this.
Because employees cannot be terminated for illegal reasons, our law firm focuses on helping employees understand what this looks like and how to take legal action. In simple terms, a wrongful termination occurs when an at-will employee is fired based on discrimination or retaliation. Thus, a wrongful termination suit could be initiated if you were fired based on a protected characteristic or due to retaliation for filing a complaint or reporting a violation.
Protecting your employment rights
Employment rights are afforded to at-will employees as well as those with an employment contract. With an employment contract in place, a wrongful termination could occur if the firing violates the terms of the employment contract.
Employment law matters can easily become complex because employees may not be well versed in their rights and pertinent laws. Furthermore, acts of discrimination and retaliation are not always conspicuous.