What can I do if I feel that I was wrongfully terminated?
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What can I do if I feel that I was wrongfully terminated?
I reported to HR that I was experiencing problems from my supervisor; that he was creating a hostile work environment. The day after I spoke with HR I was fired for a different reason that. I believe it was just an excuse to get rid of me.
Asked on March 23, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, Arkansas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
As a general matter, an employer or supervisor is free to create a "hostile work environment"--the law allows employers to be as hostile to their staff as they like.
The exception is that hostility, harassment, or discrimination based on certain specified characteristics or criteria are illegal. Under federal law, hostility directed towards a person due to his/her race, religion, sex, disability, or age over 40 is illegal; some states also protect a few additional categories, primarily national origin, family status, and/or sexual orientation.
If you believe that your termination and the treatment you endured was due to one of the above reasons, you may have a claim for illegal discrimination and should consult with an employment law attorney. But otherwise--including if the treatment was based on, for example, personal dislike--you most likely do not have any recourse.
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