When you are fired it can feel like it came out of nowhere and you are left grappling for answers. However, a surprise firing can also turn out to be wrongful termination if you are familiar with the signs.
Anyone fired for inappropriate and illegal reasons has a case. It is not to say that all people fired, were fired without cause, but sometimes a termination can be just a little too convenient. Here are a few clues to help you make that determination.
You found out a secret about the company or a superior
Retaliation against employees is an action taken by employers to discourage whistleblowers. Mostly the targets are employees who are critical of their company or learn unflattering information about their bosses.
Your firing directly contradicts your contract or other public promises
The things your employer says in public matter. The terms of your contract matter. People fired after hearing public promises to the contrary are in a confusing situation. It may also be the basis for a wrongful termination lawsuit.
You find out you were “blacklisted”
People leave jobs every single day for a variety of reasons. That does not mean that they are changing careers. If you find that your former employer has placed you on a blacklist after terminating you, then that certainly is a situation to bring to an attorney
Your employer terminated you after returning from leave
The Family And Medical Leave Act protects people from termination if they are looking after family or are sick. Long absences are challenging for employers and your co-workers, but there is nothing illegal or unprofessional about getting healthy or being with sick family members. If you were on leave and then fired upon returning, there is a strong possibility that your leave might have been a leading reason.
Not all employers
Most companies are doing right by their employees. Litigation is a tool reserved for those people maliciously wronged by their employers. You get to work in the industry you want and are happy in, and no one, not even a powerful former boss can take that from you.