Certain Reasons For Termination Are Illegal

When a person gets terminated from a job, one of the first things he or she needs to do is to determine why he or she was let go. There are many reasons why a person might get terminated. Inadequate job performance or similar concerns are two of the possible reasons; however, some reasons for termination aren’t so easy to determine.

In the case of someone who has filed complaints about a company or who has accused management of sexual harassment, the termination might actually be considered wrongful termination because of the complaint that was filed. Those terminations are against federal laws that forbid termination as a retaliatory action after a complaint.

Other reasons for termination that aren’t legal include being let go from a job because of a protected status. Race, gender, disability, pregnancy, color, age and national origin are federally protected statuses that can’t be used as the basis for termination.

Even when employment is considered at-will, employers still aren’t allowed to terminate employees as a discriminatory or retaliatory action against the employee. Employers who terminate employees for these reasons can face legal consequences, even in an at-will state.

There are certain steps that have to be followed in most wrongful termination cases. These steps include having to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or a similar government agency. Determining your steps after you have been wrongfully terminated can have a big impact on the outcome of your case. With this in mind, it is vital that you learn your options and what steps are necessary so that you can make an appropriate plan.

Source: FindLaw, “Was I Wrongfully Discharged From My Job?,” accessed Oct. 27, 2015