You may or may not know that Florida is an at will employment state. This means that you can leave your job at any time for any reason. It also means that your employer can fire you at any time for any reason, or for no reason at all (so long as it does not violate some specific federal or state law). With these laws in place, it may seem that there is no such thing as wrongful termination. However, even in an at will state, you have rights as to how and when your employment is terminated. Here’s what wrongful termination is and what you can do about it.
Definition of Wrongful Termination
Wrongful termination is the type of case that you have against an employer if they fired you for a federally protected reason. For example, if your employer fires you based on any type of discrimination such as gender, religion, sexuality, or race, you will have a wrongful termination case. You may also have a wrongful termination case if your employer fires you after you blew the whistle on their unethical or illegal activities, either as a company or from specific individuals within the company.
What You Can Do
It may seem that there is little you can do about wrongful termination in an at will employment state, but you can fight back. Filing a wrongful termination lawsuit may help you gain compensation for your lost wages while you look for new employment. In a wrongful termination case, you must be able to prove that the reason for your dismissal was related to discrimination, whistle blowing, or the like. If it was, then you may have a case.
If you are not certain that your wrongful termination case can be proven, do not simply give up and assume the worst. An experienced employment attorney can help you determine if you have a case that can be taken to court. Instead of making the decision on your own, contact us today for a consultation. We can help you determine if moving forward with your wrongful termination case is the right thing to do.