Being terminated from a job is not a pleasant experience. There are legally justified reasons why a person might have been fired. However, it is unfortunately common that people lose their jobs for illegal reasons.
When a person thinks they were wrongfully terminated, it is essential to understand the basics of seeking compensation in a legal claim. That includes knowing what at-will employment means, when the employer is allowed to terminate an employee, and if there is evidence that the termination crossed the line of legality.
Employers cannot fire employees for discriminatory reasons
While at-will employment grants employers extensive leeway in terminating an employee, it is not all-encompassing. If a worker suspects their termination was unjustified and violated the law, they should know their options. Filing a claim starts with showing that they were wrongfully terminated.
Employers can fire an employee for any reason in Oregon. They do not even need to give a reason. If they decide they want to cut costs, they can simply fire a worker. While employees are sometimes fired for no discernible reason or are not told why, most employers will have a reason for making the employment decision.
For example, if a worker is showing up late, missing days without permission, is receiving poor performance reviews, or is behaving inappropriately, the employer can terminate them and not worry about a legal claim.
However, there are times when an employee was wrongfully terminated. They must recognize that there was a violation to try and seek compensation for it. An employee who was fired because of their gender, age, race, national origin, or sexual orientation can consider a legal filing.
If they were retaliated against for complaining about being harassed, not being paid their proper wages, or because they were a whistleblower about wrongdoing, they cannot simply be terminated as it might constitute wrongful termination. Workers who hold certain religious or political beliefs cannot be fired because of it. This is particularly poignant today because of the rampant polarization in Oregon and across the nation.
Wrongfully terminated employees have the right to seek justice
Even if a person is unsure as to why they were terminated, but thinks it could have been due to discrimination, retaliation, their contract being breached, false performance reviews, or for any other reason, they should seek guidance about the matter. In many instances, there is ample evidence that state employment law was violated, and witnesses are willing to testify. Since these cases often hinge on minor pieces of evidence, it is essential to seek help immediately to pursue an investigation and file a claim.