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- New Jersey Wrongful Termination Lawyer
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TERMINATION
NEW JERSEY EMPLOYMENT LAW GENERALLY PERMITS EMPLOYERS TO TERMINATE EMPLOYEES WITHOUT CAUSE OR ADVANCE NOTICE.
New Jersey employers have wide discretion to fire employees, thanks to our state’s “at will” employment laws. However, there are limits to this power. Various restraints, including important anti-discrimination laws, limit the ability of employers to terminate a worker. If you believe you were wrongfully terminated, contact The Law Offices of Usmaan Sleemi today. A Paramus wrongful termination attorney can discuss the situation at work and provide individualized advice about your rights.
When is a Termination Wrongful?
As a fired employee, you might bring a wrongful termination claim in the following situations:
- Breach of employment contract. Some employees have contracts that outline the reasons why an employer can terminate the worker. An employer might refuse to follow the contract or terminate for an unauthorized reason. The worker can usually seek to enforce the contract in court.
- Discriminatory termination. Both state and federal laws prohibit discrimination in employment based on certain protected characteristics, such as nationality, race, color, religion, gender, age, and disability (among others). If you are fired for a discriminatory purpose, then you can probably sue.
- Retaliatory firing. An employer might retaliate against an employee for exercising a protected right. For example, an employee might blow the whistle on illegal activity or complain about discrimination at work. An employer cannot retaliate by firing the worker.
- Constructive discharge. An employee facing serious workplace harassment might have no choice but to quit. This can give rise to a constructive discharge claim. The argument is that the workplace becomes intolerable, which is the equivalent of firing the worker.
- Public policy violations. An employee cannot fire a worker for refusing to break the law or for other public policy reasons.
Our office is available to determine if you have a solid legal claim. Contact us to schedule a consultation.
How We Can Help
Our firm is dedicated to protecting workers’ rights. We can investigate the surrounding circumstances of your termination to determine if it was lawful.
Often, an employer gives a pretextual reason for firing a worker. They might claim your performance evaluations were poor or that you broke some regulation. Often, this justification is false and hides an improper motive.
Let us discuss the different options you have. You might seek lost wages, emotional distress damages, and other remedies. Some workers want to be reinstated into their old job, but that might not be the right choice for you.
FAQs about Wrongful Termination in Paramus
Can I claim wrongful termination if only older workers were fired?
Possibly. An employer is unlikely to admit to a discriminatory motive when it comes to laying workers off. However, if only older workers are fired, that’s a sign that discrimination played a role. The same is true if only women are fired or only black employees are let go. Contact our office so we can investigate.
Can I sue if I signed a severance package?
It depends on the reason why you were laid off. New Jersey has passed laws recently that prohibit an employer from demanding that a worker sign away their rights to sue for discrimination or harassment. Let us see if you have a valid claim.
Speak with a Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Paramus
Employers should follow the law when terminating employees. Unfortunately, too many break a contract or violate some other legal prohibition. Contact our office to schedule a consultation today.