Nobody likes to get fired; people often feel they didn’t deserve it. Most of the time, an employer has a valid reason and has to let an employee go. Sometimes, people are fired for reasons that are actually illegal. For example, you can’t be fired because you are a woman or a minority.
Although many states are at will when it comes to work, meaning that you can be fired, you may have to have a valid case for a lawsuit. You may want to hire a lawyer and take this termination to court. There may be a wrongful termination labor law case to be made that will either compensate you or allow you to go back to work at the company. You have to know the signs so that you understand when you have a case. In this article, we’ll go over some of those signs.
1 – You’re part of a protective class
There are certain segments of society that historically have been discriminated against and are given protection under the law. This means that there is a protected class of workers that can’t be fired for being what they are. If one is fired then there has to be a justification made to avoid repercussions from a legal perspective.
This protected class includes minorities, women, LGBT, and senior citizens. Unfortunately, this class is protected because there are some unscrupulous employers out there that see these people as undesirable and will look for ways to get rid of them. If you fall under one of the classes then your case deserves further investigation to understand if this was the reason for your termination.
There is no doubt that the manager who fired you will have an excuse ready as to why you were fired. Most of them understand that it is illegal and will look to cover themselves. However, they also have to provide proper documentation. If you are able to provide conflicting documentation then you will be able to build a solid case.
2 – Retaliation
Sometimes a business can be involved in unethical or even illegal behavior. If you were to complain about this and then find yourself fired you will have a powerful case of retaliation. The same goes for other things that you may be doing that your superiors don’t like. For instance, if you were to discuss your salary with other employees this could make your managers uncomfortable and they might decide to let you go. It is legal to talk about wages and can’t legally be banned by your employer.
3 – Breach of contract
If you have a contract with your employer then it should outline that certain things be done in a certain timeline or manner. It all depends on the contract. If you are let go and the terms of the contract weren’t met then this is one of the easiest wrongful termination cases you can make.
There are very few ways an employer can get out of a breach of contract case so you will have no trouble finding a lawyer for your case.