Can I do anything about my company laying me off before the contract is up?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can I do anything about my company laying me off before the contract is up?
I am being laid off at the end of the month, and our contract isn’t supposed to end until this coming spring. I have roughly three weeks left to find a job. I take care of my mom. They aren’t going to give us severance pay either.
Asked on August 8, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, Kentucky
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 4 years ago | Contributor
If you personally have a written employment contract which guaranteed you work until a certain date, they are violating the contract by laying you off early. You could sue them, such as in small claims court, for the additional pay owed you. However, without a contract like that one described, they could lay you off whenever they like, even if the overall contract for the project still has time to run; you need a contract guarantying you work until a set date to have enforceable rights.
There is no right to severance unless you have a contravt giving it to you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.