Having your employment terminated can be devastating. You may be left with few or no options to earn an income in the immediate aftermath of the event and, as a result, your financial situation could be quite precarious.
However, even though it may seem like your employer can fire you for any reason – or no reason – the fact is that there are state and federal laws that protect employees from wrongful termination of employment. So, how do you know if the termination of your employment was wrongful?
Wrongful termination overview
If you believe a state or federal law was violated by your firing, or perhaps even the terms of an employment agreement were violated, the termination of your employment may indeed have been wrongful.
For example, there are laws that protect employees who face discrimination or harassment, as well as those who are not paid correctly. There are many other legal protections as well. Your employer cannot fire you unjustly.
The facts of any given situation can vary, which is why it is important to act quickly to have the facts of your unique situation analyzed for a potential wrongful termination claim. Not only will you want to recover financial compensation, if possible, as soon as you can, but you will also want to move quickly to make sure that any potentially discoverable evidence that is in your employer’s possession is retained for the possibility of litigation.
If you were fired for an illegal reason, chances are you are assessing your legal options at the same time that you are worrying about your financial situation. Be sure to get the right information about your potential path forward before you make any important decisions.