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Signs you were wrongfully terminated

On Behalf of | May 11, 2021 | Employment Law

Getting fired is sometimes justified, but it’s also possible that your employer fired you illegally. Here are a few signs that you may have been wrongfully terminated by your employer in Tennessee.

Discrimination

If your employer fired you due to your gender, race, age, sexual orientation or nationality, then they have wrongfully terminated you because firing someone based off any of these traits is in violation of anti-discrimination laws. If this is the case, then you should enlist the help of an employment law attorney to determine what steps to take next. It can be hard to prove that your termination was due to discrimination, so being in possession of convincing evidence will greatly help your case.

Public policy violation

There are many laws in place that prohibit employers from terminating their workers under certain specified conditions. For example, it is illegal to fire an employee for taking time off to serve in the military, report for jury duty or vote.

It is also illegal to fire an employee for reporting any illegal activity that goes on within the company. If your employer has terminated you due to any of these things, then they are in violation of public policy, and your termination can be considered wrongful.

Retaliation

Getting fired due to retaliation typically happens when an employee reports illegal conduct taking place within a company, and then the company fires them for releasing that information. It is also considered retaliation if you file a harassment complaint against another employee and then get fired soon after. These scenarios are in violation of employment law and could possibly cost the company thousands of dollars if you take them to court and they lose the case.

Breach of contract

In some employment contracts, it will state that there must be a defined cause before any termination. If your employer breaches that agreement, then it is considered to be a wrongful termination.

Employers typically have the power to fire you whenever they feel like it. However, if there is convincing evidence that the way they fired you was illegal, and then contacting an employment law attorney might be your best option.

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