People get fired for many reasons. Some are fired because they do not do their work properly, while others are fired because they are always getting late to work or because they have terrible behavior towards their colleagues or customers.
Being fired is not a cool experience, and while in some cases it is deserved, there are situations when an employee is wrongfully fired. When you are dealing with something like this, you might not know what to do next. For example, should you get a lawyer? Well, keep on reading to see what your next move should be.
“At-Will” Employment
The majority of U.S. employees work at will, and employers may decide to fire at-will workers when there is a legal reason or no reason. Under the law, employees are at will in most states unless a contract is made with the employer to change the status. A lot of employers want their right to fire employees at will to be protected, though.
When it comes to at-will employees, employers do not have to offer a reason for firing them, yet a lot of them do so. When a reason is offered for the firing, this is known as a termination “for cause”.
What Should You Do After Being Fired for Cause?
When you get fired, your plan for the future may involve looking for a new job. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but you may want to look into whether you were actually fired for a reason or not. You may have some legal claims against the former employer. The next thing you should do after being fired is to look for a lawyer to evaluate your case.
What Are Some Illegal Termination Reasons?
It’s not illegal for an employer to fire an employee. Even if the reason is unjustified or unfair, firing an employee is not illegal, and the employer can even lie about the termination reason.
Nevertheless, the employer is not legally allowed to fire someone for a reason that violates the law or breaches a contract. So, if a worker was fired for reasons such as retaliation, discrimination, or anything of the sort, the termination is a wrongful one.
How Are Wrongful Termination Cases Assessed by Lawyers?
A lawyer will try to find out whether you were fired for an illegal reason or not. The attorney will look at whether there was a policy that the employee only followed with other employees but not with you, or whether there was a contract where the reason for which you were fired is not listed.
Also, the lawyer may try to look into whether you were retaliated against or if the other employees were treated differently when doing the same thing you did.
Then, the lawyer will evaluate your financial losses and other damages and try to discover if there are any unpaid wages due. All of these can help you build a strong case and eventually recover the losses.
The Bottom Line
A lawyer can take your wrongful termination case if you were fired for cause and try to find out if you were indeed fired for a good reason. If you live in Florida, perhaps you are aware that the wrongful termination claim doesn’t exist there unless it’s an exception. Florida is an at-will state. However, if you know you were wrongfully terminated, you should reach out to Orlando wrongful termination lawyers. They will help you with your case!
