Terminated unlawfully? Know your legal rights.
Discrimination at the work place is illegal. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), an employer cannot discriminate against an employee or applicant based on race, genetic information, disability, age, national origin, gender, or religion. Additionally, an employer cannot terminate an employee because the worker participated in a lawsuit against the employer, filed a charge of discrimination, or complained about discrimination.
Unfortunately, employees do get unlawfully terminated from their jobs based on these factors. The good news is that federal and state employment laws exist to protect employees from unlawful termination. An unlawful termination lawsuit is based on these laws. If you feel you were unlawfully terminated, you may want to consult an employment lawyer.
Types of discrimination
There are different kinds of discriminatory practices that some employers may engage in. Some of the most prevalent illegal practices are:
Racial discrimination - Racial discrimination happens when an employee or applicant is treated unfavorably because of race. A person may also be the victim of race discrimination if unlawfully terminated from work simply because of a relationship (including marriage) with a person of certain race or color.
Gender discrimination - Employees may get unfavorably treated based on their sex. Unlawful termination based on gender discrimination happens most commonly in two kinds of cases. If a female employee gets fired for becoming pregnant, this would be unlawful termination. Similarly, if a female employee is fired for complaining of sexual harassment or made to quit because of a deliberately offensive work environment, it amounts to unlawful termination.
Age discrimination - If an applicant or employee is fired because of age, it may be considered a case of unlawful termination. Federal laws protect an applicant or employee who is 45 years of age or older against age discrimination. Those under 40 may not be protected.
Disability discrimination - It is illegal for an employer to discriminate based on a qualified applicant's or employee's disability. Disability discrimination is still illegal when an applicant or employee gets unfavorably treated due to a history of a disability or for a disability that is not permanent. It is unlawful termination when a person is fired for a disability when that disability does not affect the performance of his or her duties.
How can Sokolove Law help you?
If you or someone you know has been unlawfully terminated from work, you may have legal grounds to file a lawsuit against your employer. In order to file an unlawful termination lawsuit, you should contact an experienced labor or employment lawyer who will be able to guide you through the legal process.
Employment lawyers at Sokolove Law have dealt with numerous unlawful termination cases over the last three decades. If you or a loved one has been terminated unlawfully, call Sokolove Law today to learn more about filing an unlawful termination lawsuit.
