New Haven
Wrongful Termination Lawyer

Workers in New Haven, throughout the state of Connecticut, and nationwide are protected by certain laws. These laws include protection against wrongful termination. But for many employees, understanding what constitutes wrongful termination and what protections exist can be confusing, especially for at-will employees. To learn more about what your rights are related to wrongful termination and how our wrongful termination lawyers at the law office of Haber, McKenna & Dinsmore, LLC can support you, please call our law office directly today at (203) 691-6491.

What Constitutes Wrongful Termination?

Many people misinterpret wrongful termination laws to mean that they cannot be terminated without cause. In fact, though, most employees can be terminated at any time without cause. While this may be unfortunate for an unexpecting employee, it’s not illegal unless it constitutes wrongful termination. 

Wrongful termination is termination that breaches an employee’s protected rights. Termination arising out of the following is wrongful and illegal:

• Discrimination. It is illegal for an employer to fire an employee due to discrimination. Discrimination laws at the federal level protect employees from being discriminated against for age (if they are 40 or over), pregnancy, disability, sex/gender, sexual identity, genetic information, race/color, religion, or national origin. 
• Whistleblower complaints. Employees are protected in their right to “whistleblow,” which refers to reporting discrimination, fraud, unsafe conditions, illegal activity, corruption, dangers, etc. within a company. Whistleblowers are protected from retaliation. 
• Exercising other protected rights. Finally, an employee cannot be terminated for exercising any of their protected rights. This might mean taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, exercising one’s right to vote, filing a workers’ compensation claim, filing a discrimination claim, or engaging in any other protected right. 

In addition to the above, termination might be illegal if it is in direct breach of an employment contract. For example, if a contract between an employee and employer states that an employee cannot be terminated except for in certain circumstances and the employee is terminated outside of those circumstances, then the employee may have a breach of contract case against the employer. 

What If I’m an At-Will Employee?

An at-will employee relationship refers to a relationship between an employee and employer where the relationship can be terminated by either party, at any time, without cause. Again, while your employer can terminate you and does not need to give you cause for this, they cannot terminate you if that termination breaches a protected right, mentioned above. 

What to Do if You Believe that You’ve Been Wrongfully Terminated

If you believe that you have been wrongfully terminated, one of the most important things that you should do initially is write down as much as you can remember about the termination. If you have any record of communication between you and your employer, document this. Additionally, if there are any witnesses who can speak to the wrongful termination, record their information. The more information that you have at the time you file your complaint or/and consult with an attorney, the better prepared you will be.

After you have gathered as much information as possible about your wrongful termination, you should consider scheduling a free consultation with an experienced wrongful termination attorney. If you decide you don’t want to work with an attorney, you can bring forth a complaint with the Connecticut Department of Labor. 

How Our New Haven Wrongful Termination Attorney Can Help

Working with an attorney during your wrongful termination case is not mandatory, but it may be very helpful. Your attorney can assist you by investigating your case, preparing your complaint documents, helping you to understand and negotiate the types of recompense/compensation that may be available if your case is successful. Working with an attorney can also help you to feel more confident in the decision to bring forth a complaint against an employer who has violated your rights by wrongfully terminating you. 

Call Hayber, McKenna & Dinsmore, LLC Today for a Consultation

If you have been a victim of wrongful termination, it’s important that you understand that you have certain rights. By bringing forth a wrongful termination complaint, you may be able to seek reinstatement to your original position, back pay for lost wages, and more. Our lawyers can represent you throughout the entire process and advocate for your rights.

You can learn more about our law firm and our New Haven wrongful termination lawyers by calling us directly today or sending us a message at your convenience.