Wrongful termination during the pandemic can be a confusing situation. The knowledgeable attorneys at The Crone Law Firm will explain what rights you have as an employee. We work every day to assist victims of harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination. Our proven track record speaks for itself. If you have been wrongfully terminated, we will pursue all legal remedies available to you under federal and state law.
How do I know if my firing was wrongful termination?
Tennessee and Missouri, as well as most other states, are at-will (or some form of at-will) employment states. This means that an employer is permitted to terminate an employee without cause at any time. There are certain exceptions to the at-will rule under the law. For example, an employer is prohibited from retaliating against and firing a whistleblower or basing termination decisions on discriminatory reasons.
If you have recently lost your job and you are wondering if it was a wrongful termination, we can help. If you have an employment contract, we can review it to determine if your termination was a violation of its terms. We can also investigate whether it was in retaliation for you exercising your legal rights. We will explore every circumstance to determine whether the loss of your job was a wrongful termination.
What about terminations during the pandemic?
The COVID pandemic led to many American workers losing their jobs due to the significant decline in the economy. If your employer terminated you during the pandemic, it is possible you have a valid claim for wrongful termination. The validity of your claim depends upon the reasons why you were fired. Below are a few examples of illegal terminations by your employer:
- You were fired after you reported hazardous working conditions (such as no social distancing, inadequate cleaning, or no personal protective equipment being provided)
- You were terminated because you refused to violate a legal shelter-in-place order
- Your employer fired you because you took family or medical leave under federal or state law
- You filed a COVID worker’s compensation claim and then you lost your job, or
- You were terminated because you have a preexisting condition (health, age or other) that increases your vulnerability to coronavirus
If you were forced or pressured to quit because of a serious COVID-related safety issue that placed you at risk, you may have a valid claim for wrongful constructive termination that violates public policy. To learn more, contact us for more information. We can discuss the facts surrounding your claim and determine if you should pursue a wrongful termination or wrongful constructive termination claim.
What are the remedies for wrongful termination?
There are several different remedies that may be recovered in a wrongful termination action. A few examples include reinstatement of your job, backpay, loss of future earnings, and your legal fees/costs. One of our experienced lawyers will help you determine all of the damages you have suffered as a result of the wrongful loss of your job, then we will aggressively pursue your recovery of those damages.
Crone Law Firm Will Answer Your Wrongful Termination Questions
If you think you have a valid claim for wrongful termination, you should contact our experienced employment law legal team as soon as possible. There is a time limit (statute of limitations) for filing wrongful termination claims. The Crone Law Firm is one of the few firms in Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, and the Southeast to focus exclusively on employment law matters. We are passionate about resolving your workplace disputes and we know the law inside and out. Call us at 901-737-7740 to see how we can help. Let’s go get some justice!