Can Your Employer Terminate You For Any Reason?

This is one of the frequently asked questions from workers whether they will be protected or not in case their employer fires them for little or no reason at all. The question is legitimate when you’re dealing with strict behavior from your manager or equivalent level person or when you feel your employment is not secure. Most of the employment lawyers say ‘yes’ when they hear this kind of query because there are ways and conditions when an employer is allowed to terminate his employee at will.

The truth is there is no protection for employee except the condition in which employer gives an unfair reason for termination that is also against the labors’ rights. Without any cause or with an illegal reason if your company fires you, there are legal options for you to sue your employer. An employment law attorney New York can help you with local state law, reviewing written and oral employment contracts.

Termination without reason

In the US, people are hired by a company in two common forms – contract or at-will workers. If someone is hired with a contract it mentions the period of employment, duties, and most importantly the conditions or reasons for which he can be dismissed from the work. On the contrary, at-will workers do not have a written and signed contract. Termination without reason should be incorporated with a notice to the employee.

Termination with reason

“With just cause” or “with reason” termination can happen when the employer will give a valid reason and then he is not required to give any further notice in writing. However, the company is required to pay severance before laying off an employee without any cause. You can ask for assistance from a law firm in Manhattan NY to calculate severance and other litigation management.

Here some conditions in which termination will be inappropriate or illegal

Retaliation: Whether you are hired by an “at-will” employer or have a written agreement for the job, employers do not possess the right to retaliate. They can’t fire you in a way of retaliation. If a worker complains against the unhealthy environment of a company to the state health department and in return, if the employer retaliates him/her, this would be a case of reprisal.  In those circumstances, you always have the option to seek help from employment lawyers New York for compensation or get back your job.

Discrimination: It will be considered a “wrongful termination” if it involves discrimination in any form. If an employer discriminates on the basis of the employee’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship, color, age, status, or physical disability, you can contact an employment law attorney for a wrongful termination claim.

Unionized Employees:  Your employer can’t repel you for the reason that you’re a union or belongs to a union. Union employees are protected by the collective bargaining agreements that allow an employer to fire them for a valid cause only. You can contact a law firm in Manhattan who specializes in anti-discrimination laws and fair employment practices for legal help.