No one wants to lose their job and have to worry about how they’ll find a new position and make ends meet. Unfortunately, many employees are terminated from a job at some point. While this is never a pleasant experience to go through, in many cases, there’s nothing you can do. Terminations are often a part of being in the workforce. However, there are times when a termination violates your employee rights. A wrongful termination can come as a shock, and it may seem clear to you that something is wrong. However, while you might know that what your employer did violates your rights, proving this and receiving compensation is much harder.
What you do following a wrongful termination can greatly affect the outcome of your case. Here’s what you should do to give yourself the best chance at success.
What is Wrongful Termination?
Many might be unaware of exactly what is considered wrongful termination. Of course, many terminations feel unfair, but that doesn’t make them unlawful. If you’re an at-will employee, you also might not realize that there are still unlawful reasons for your employer to terminate you. Don’t think that just because you’re an at-will employee you can’t be wrongfully terminated. Wrongful terminations violate federal, state, or local laws. This can include terminations that include the following:
- Discrimination
- Retaliation
- Breach of contract
What To Do if You Believe You Were Wrongfully Terminated
Losing your job is a difficult experience to go through, especially when you believe that your rights were violated in the process. While this can be an overwhelming time, it's in your best interest that you take certain actions that can protect you in the future.
Stay Calm
It’s understandable to be upset and angry after losing your job. However, you need to do your best to stay calm. You don’t want to do anything that could risk making you look bad. Even if you weren’t wrongfully terminated, fighting and arguing with your employer won’t benefit you and could end up getting you in more serious trouble. Don’t retaliate against your employer or do anything else that they might be able to use against you.
Gather Evidence
Whenever you suspect that you’re experiencing a violation of your employee rights, it’s essential that you document these actions. This includes keeping track of exactly what days these actions took place and the names of those involved. Other evidence, such as emails, voicemails, text messages, your personnel file, and other employment documents can also help prove that your termination was wrongful. If you believe anyone else witnessed the unlawful actions taken against you, you may also want to ask them to confirm that these actions happened.
Contact a Wrongful Termination Attorney
If you suspect your termination was unlawful, you shouldn’t wait to contact a wrongful termination attorney. An experienced attorney can help determine if you have a case and give you the assistance you need to win. Proving that you were wrongfully terminated is complicated, but an attorney knows what your case needs for you to receive compensation. You want to ensure that everything is handled properly so that you can move past this stressful time, and a wrongful termination attorney is essential for this.
Brown Kwon & Lam: New York City Wrongful Termination Attorneys
If your employer violated the law and wrongfully terminated you, you shouldn’t be responsible for dealing with the damages yourself. Being left without a source of income is an incredibly difficult situation to be in, which is why important safeguards are in place to protect employees. At Brown Kwon & Lam, we have helped many employees in New York City take action against their employers after they have violated their rights.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to get help after being wrongfully terminated.
Contact Brown Kwon & Lam today.