Full Answer
You’ll know you have a case if one or any of these situations apply:
The attorney represents the employee in order to secure job reinstatement and/or money damages for her client. There are several employment situations a wrongful termination attorney may address, including breach of contract, workers compensation claims, workplace safety and sexual harassment .
Wrongful termination lawyers charge for their services in one of three different ways:
In general, readers who had a wrongful termination claim against a large employer (with more than 100 employees) received an average of $43,400 in compensation—almost twice as high as the average for readers who'd worked for smaller employers. Large employers may simply have the money to offer higher settlements.
To prove a case of wrongful termination, the fired worker generally has to show that the employer's stated reason for the discharge was false, and that the termination was for an illegal reason. That illegal reason is generally unlawful retaliation, discrimination, a breach of contract, or a violation of public policy.
The definition of wrongful termination is when they fire you illegally. That can mean discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or breach of contract. If your boss makes you quit, that's also unlawful termination. For example, if your office job suddenly involves cleaning all the public restrooms.
Talk to a Lawyer Before Filing a Wrongful Termination Claim If you've been wrongly fired, you may have rights to severance pay, damages, and/or unemployment compensation. Speak with an experienced employment law attorney to understand your rights.
An attorney can work with you to review your contract and determine if a stated reason for termination is contemplated by the contract. In some cases, an employer's policies can provide discipline procedures. An attorney can work with you to determine if your employer had a discipline policy it failed to follow.
If you believe you've been wrongfully terminated, it's important to consult with an attorney. The legal process can be very challenging and your attorney can provide you with expert advice. If you believe you were discriminated against based on a protected status, you'll want to learn more by meeting with an employment lawyer in your area today.
If you were terminated due to stated performance problems, your attorney will be interested to learn whether other employees were terminated for the same stated performance problems. If not, your attorney will seek evidence that suggests your employer treated you differently based on a legally protected status, such as your gender, race, disability, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation.
If you were terminated for poor performance, your attorney will want to review any documents related to your performance during your employment and up until your termination. Performance reviews and employment evaluations are important in determining whether you were treated differently than other employees.
Your attorney will likely ask you whether there are witnesses with information relating to your performance and termination. Additionally, you and your attorney will review all relevant documents, employer policies, and employee handbooks.
If during your employment you made a workplace complaint or " blew the whistle " on illegal activity at work, your attorney will advise you regarding a potential retaliation claim. If it is determined that the reported activity was not illegal, the reporting employee is still protected as long as the report was made in good faith.
An employer can't legally fire anyone for a reason that breaches an employment contract or violates the law. Unlawful reasons for termination include firing in violation of anti-discrimination law, firing as a form of sexual harassment, firing in violation of labor laws, and firing in retaliation for an employee's complaint against the employer.
It is essential to have the assistance of a wrongful termination attorney if you have been wrongfully terminated. It is even possible that you were wrongfully terminated and are not aware that you were and that you can receive compensation.
Most employment positions are considered at-will employment. This means that the employee is hired for an unspecified amount of time and during this time the employer has the right to terminate them at any point without cause. In an at-will employment arrangement, without cause implies that an employee may be fired for any reason or for no reason at all, as long as the reason is not illegal or unlawful.
It is essential to have a lawyer on your side for a wrongful termination case. The laws governing wrongful termination may vary by state. Your lawyer will be able to review your case, advise you regarding applicable laws, and assist you in filing a lawsuit against your former employer.
If you are one of the millions of people who are facing wrongful termination in the workplace, then you know just how stressful it can be. Not only are you concerned about losing your job, but you may also be worried about fighting a wrongful termination lawsuit and getting your wrongful termination case properly taken care of.
If you have ever had an issue with a company in your area and feel that they are being unethical, then a good place to start looking for wrongful termination lawyers in my area is the Internet. It’s a great way to find out all the information you need and it will also save you quite a bit of money.
What lawyers for wrongful termination are going to have to do in a typical situation is defend the employee from a company that wants to fire them because they made sexual advances toward a colleague, or discriminated against another individual because of sex. But this is not always the case.
For many years now, pro bono wrongful termination lawyers have worked to help people who have fallen victim to employer negligence and abuse. They are not only there to represent the surviving relatives of a recently killed loved one, but also help people who have been wrongfully fired or discriminated against in the workplace.
Wrongful termination occurs when you have been fired from your job for reasons that violate state or federal law or through a breach of your employment contract. Employees who lose their jobs in this way have legal recourse against employers through the EEOC and state and federal court.
Like most states, Florida and Texas employment is subject to the “at-will” rule. This generally means that an employer can terminate your employment at any time for any reason or for no reason. This holds true as long as the reason for your termination is not based on violations of state or federal discrimination laws.