Wrongful termination is illegal in Texas and all other states, but it still happens. If you have been wrongfully terminated, it’s important to know what options are available to you.
What is wrongful termination?
A termination is considered wrongful when an employee is dismissed for illegal reasons. Employers cannot fire workers for serving as whistleblowers and reporting illegal activities taking place within the company. Employees cannot be terminated for making a complaint of discrimination or harassment. It’s also illegal to fire an employee based on certain information in an employment agreement.
What are some legal remedies for wrongful termination?
There are a variety of legal remedies for wrongful termination. If a person has reason to believe they were wrongfully terminated from their job, they have a right to explore these options.
One possibility is to require the employer to pay back wages to the individual. That is often included along with future pay and even punitive damages for particularly outrageous behavior in having fired the employee in the first place.
Another legal action that might be available is for the person to be reinstated to their job in the company. However, many people who have suffered wrongful termination are often averse to going back to work at a place where their employer fired them for illegal reasons. It’s fair to feel like that situation would be too awkward to go back. However, it’s an option that could even potentially result in a promotion.
The employer might also be required by the court to pay attorney’s fees, expert witness fees and various court-associated fees as a recompense for wrongful termination.
The court might even award an injunction against any possible illegal conduct in the future if the employee chooses to be reinstated in the company.
Wrongful termination can be a shock. If it has happened to you, you may be able to fight back against your employer.