Losing a job can be one of life’s most stressful experiences. One moment you’re performing your daily job routines, and the next you’re exiting the premises with a full cardboard box in tow, thinking about whether you have enough money in your savings account to pay off the next round of bills. It’s like you’ve suddenly had the ground taken out from beneath you.
The worst part of it all is, for as long as you can remember, you were a responsible, hard worker. You seriously can’t think of one good reason for your termination. It’s not like the company isn’t doing well; in fact, they’re flourishing. So why were you let go? Was it something you said or did? Or was the reason for your dismissal pretty “sketchy,” perhaps even illegal?
If any of the following circumstances applies to your case, you may have a wrongful termination claim:
You Were Discussing Working Conditions with Coworkers
Under the National Labor Relations Act, employees have the right to discuss working conditions and terms of their employment without fear of retaliation. Be forewarned, however: the law protects employees who are cooperating on labor issues, so you presumably can be terminated for complaining to someone about your infuriating boss.
You Were Retaliated Against
It is illegal for the employer to retaliate against you because you made a discrimination or harassment complaint or participated in a workplace investigation. Likewise, an employee cannot be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim. The burden of proof is on you to prove that your firing was a form of retaliation.
You Were Discriminated Against
Believe it or not, employees to this day are sometimes fired because of their race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, or military and veteran status of any person – and this is very, very illegal.
You Were Fired Based on Your Medical History
In today’s technological world, even your genes are protected in the workplace. Under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (“GINA”), employers cannot take any adverse employment action against an employee based solely on their genetic information.
We Can Fight for You
If you suspect that you were a victim of wrongful termination, contact the experienced employment law attorneys at Wilshire Law Firm for a FREE consultation. We can evaluate your case, determine your best legal options, and develop a plan-of-action to ensure a positive outcome. To learn more about what our firm can do for you, call us now at (213) 805-8549.