Employees in Oregon have probably noticed a bit of a shift in the dynamics of the relationship between employers and employees over the course of the last year and a half. Many news reports note the difficulty that employers in all different sectors of the economy are facing in attempting to get employees into their companies and businesses, and retaining them. As a result, many employees are feeling empowered in their position in the employee-employee relationship. But, that doesn’t mean that wrongful acts are no longer carried out by employers. Wrongful termination, specifically, is still a concern.
In most situations, employers can fire employees for almost any reason. However, the reason for terminating an employee cannot be an illegal one. A discriminatory reason, for example – like firing a person based on race or gender – is not a valid reason and may subject an employer to a wrongful termination claim.
In the limited situations in which an employee has an employment contract, that contract will likely add even more prohibitions beyond what statutory law prevents. Many employment contracts will note that an employee can only be fired “for cause” – as in for a valid reason, like lack of attendance, workplace violence or some other cause that breaches the terms of the employment contract.
Assessing your claim
If you believe illegal factors were at play in your termination of employment, you may have a legal claim to assess. At our law firm, we do our best to get our clients the information they need to make sound decisions. For more information, please visit the wrongful termination overview section of our law firm’s website.