Wrongful Termination
Being terminated from a job is always difficult, impacting every part of a person’s life from the financial to the professional and emotional. However, employees terminated for unlawful reasons can take action in their defense. If you believe you are a victim of wrongful termination, you need an aggressive and experienced wrongful termination attorney to fight for the justice you deserve.
Common Situations Leading To Wrongful Termination Cases
- Employment discrimination based on your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information
- Violation of an employment contract
- Retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation L&I claim
- Retaliation for seeking compensation for unpaid wages and overtime.
- Whistleblower retaliation
Washington State workplaces abide by at-will employment rules, meaning an employer or employee may terminate employment at any time for almost any reason. At first glance, this seems to exempt employers from any liability for wrongful termination, but there are a wide number of statutory and common law circumstances where an employer may be liable for wrongfully terminating an employee. For example, a Washington State employer cannot terminate an employee for taking actions that follow public policy, such as whistleblowing to alert the public or regulatory agencies of misconduct within the company. There are also federal statutes such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These protections bar employers from terminating employees based on race, disability, and many other factors, or from retaliating against that worker if they file a complaint about one of those prohibited practices.
Since Washington State is an at-will employment state, wrongful termination claims are hard to prove and typically require experienced legal representation. In many cases, employers fabricate a pretext for discharging a worker to justify their unlawful discrimination or retaliation. This type of lawsuit requires a thorough legal analysis and a sophisticated strategy.
Our knowledge of both Washington State and federal wrongful termination law and our extensive experience representing employees in labor, employment, and employee benefits cases gives us a unique advantage in quickly analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your claim and developing the right approach. Emery | Reddy, PLLC handles every stage of your case, from workplace investigations and pre-litigation counsel to litigation within state and federal courts.
Call our experienced legal team today for a free case review. There are time limits on filing a wrongful termination claim, so it’s important to act as soon as possible.
Do I Need To Hire A Wrongful Termination Attorney?
If you have been wrongfully terminated for unlawful reasons, then it’s time to consult with an experienced Seattle wrongful termination attorney. They can help you determine if you have a case and what your options are. If needed, they can help you bring the case to court or help you negotiate a deal with your employer without ever stepping into a courtroom.
Employment law is complicated and can be overwhelming for anyone not familiar with it. Trying to hold a company accountable for bad business practices requires a skilled attorney to navigate the different laws and tactics an employer may use.
Want More Information?
As a Washington State employee, you are entitled to several protections and benefits under state and federal laws.
A document review is a comprehensive consultation and analysis of your document’s legal language, context, and impact on your worker’s rights as an employee of Washington State.
Washington State law protects all people from discriminatory and unfair practices in the workplace.
Meet The Team
The Seattle wrongful termination attorneys at Emery | Reddy, PLLC are passionate about helping workers with employment law issues and L&I claims. We Help Workers®: it’s our motto and what drives us every day.
We know how companies think, and we understand the tactics they use. Our wrongful termination attorneys use that knowledge coupled with over two decades of experience to help our clients get access to the L&I benefits to which they are legally entitled and hold employers accountable when they break the law.
If you’re struggling with an employment law issue, injury, or L&I claim, please call us and see how Emery | Reddy can help you today.