Washington DC Retaliatory Termination Lawyer
Employers in Washington DC can generally fire employees for any reason, or even no reason at all in some situations. However, if you were fired after exercising legally protected rights, your termination could be considered retaliatory, and you may have the right to pursue compensation with the help of a seasoned attorney.
For example, if you were fired after blowing the whistle on discriminatory practices or other wrongdoing in the workplace, you should consider talking to a Washington DC retaliatory termination lawyer. An employment attorney who understands how these claims work could evaluate your particular case and could explain your options for seeking compensation or other relief.
Situations of Retaliatory Termination
A retaliatory termination situation may be easy to identify. For example, employees returning to work after recovering from a disability may be terminated in retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim, although an employer might nominally cite another reason.
However, not all cases are so straightforward. Some employee actions that could lead to retaliatory termination in Washington DC include:
- Supporting a colleague’s complaint of sexual harassment or discrimination
- Refusing to create false records or documents
- Cooperating with investigators
- Seeking reasonable accommodations for a disability
- Taking family leave or medical leave
- Reporting fraudulent practices
- Speaking out against discrimination or other illegal conduct
While retaliatory action can take many forms such as demotion or reassignment, termination is unfortunately common. A Washington DC retaliatory termination attorney could review your records and see whether your employer had a complaint with your performance as soon as you exercised a legally protected right like the ones listed above.
Remedies for Retaliatory Termination in Washington DC
The legal system may compensate those who have suffered wrongdoing with monetary awards known as damages. For example, wrongfully terminated employees may be entitled to damages that cover lost wages and lost benefits as well as emotional anguish and other intangible factors.
If an employer’s retaliatory actions were especially egregious, a court might also award punitive damages designed to punish the employer and deter similar behavior in the future. In some situations, an employee may also be entitled to injunctive relief. A retaliatory termination lawyer in Washington DC could explain the potential remedies available in your particular situation.
Wrongful Discharge Laws
Employees who have suffered from retaliatory termination in DC usually recover damages through a tort claim for wrongful discharge, for which there are three primary requirements. First, you and your attorney must prove that there is an employer/employee relationship between you and the opposing party. Second, you must show adverse action on the part of your employer—in this case, wrongful termination qualifies as such.
Finally, legal counsel could help you demonstrate that the adverse action was motivated by your participation in protected conduct. Protected conduct includes actions such as reporting illegal activity, refusing to engage in fraud, pointing out discrimination, or exercising the right to take family leave.
Consult a Washington DC Retaliatory Termination Attorney
If you were fired and think the termination could be in retaliation for speaking out or exercising your rights, a Washington DC retaliatory termination lawyer could analyze the circumstances of your case and explain your options for legal remedies. To learn about what could be possible in your situation, call today.