Most Americans rely on the income that they earn from their employment to provide for themselves and their families. In fact, residents of Illinois work hard each and every day to make sure that their loved ones have what they need to succeed and thrive. When a person loses their job they may find themselves struggling to make ends meet and to pay the bills they receive each month.
To some extent employers have a lot of discretion with regard to who they choose to hire and retain in positions of employment. Most workers are considered “at-will” which means that they can be let go by their employers for a variety of reasons. However, an employer cannot fire an at-will employee if that termination is against the law or in violation of the terms of the employee’s agreement with the employer.
For example, consider an employee who is hired to work 20 hours per week. This term is in their employment contract and both the employee and their employer sign the relevant contract. If the employer then demanded that the employee work 30 hours per week or the employer would fire them, the termination of the employee on those grounds may be wrongful.
Additionally, terminations of employees based on their inclusions in protected classes are wrongful. Employees may not be fired because of their religious beliefs and practices, race, gender, age, disabilities or other designated classes. Acts of discrimination may not serve as the bases for employment terminations.
A wrongful termination is a serious legal matter. Readers who suspect that their employers acted in violation of the law are encouraged to seek counsel with employment law attorneys who are prepared to assist them with their cases.