Generally speaking, your employment with a Texas firm is considered to be at-will. This means that you can be fired for almost any reason while also allowing you to quit your job. Of course, even with at-will laws in place, companies are not allowed to terminate you based solely on your gender, sexual orientation or other protected characteristics.
Protected actions
An employer is not allowed to terminate you based on your role as a whistleblower within the organization. For example, if you tell your boss that money is missing from a company safe, you can’t be terminated for bringing that to light. You also couldn’t be terminated if you cooperated with an ongoing investigation or took other actions in good faith to hold your firm accountable for its actions. You also may be a victim of wrongful termination if you are fired for failing to engage in an illegal activity.
Follow procedures
Even if you have evidence of a wrongful termination, it may not be possible to take your case straight to court. Instead, you may need to file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC will investigate your claim and determine if illegal activity took place. If the EEOC can’t verify your claim, you may be able to take legal action on your own after an investigation comes to a conclusion.
If you are wrongfully terminated from a job, you may be entitled to back pay, the value of benefits lost and other damages. You may also be reinstated to the position that you had prior to being let go. In addition to litigation, it may be possible to negotiate a favorable resolution to a wrongful termination claim through arbitration or informal settlement talks.