The term “wrongful termination” refers to any situation where an individual is let go from his or her job in violation of the law or any of the terms included in the individual’s employment contract. In Washington and the rest of the United States, wrongful termination as a form of discrimination is illegal under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you’ve been terminated from a position because of your sex, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability status, national origin or veteran status, you could have grounds for a discrimination lawsuit.
A wrongful termination can be part of a hostile work environment, which is any work environment where the discrimination present reaches the point where an employee or group of employees cannot effectively perform their jobs. Entire careers can be compromised by a hostile work environment or a wrongful termination. If you’ve been wrongfully terminated from your job, don’t let it ruin your career. Contact our firm to begin working on a productive solution for your case.
Filing for Wrongful Termination
A termination may be considered to be discriminatory if it occurs for no reason other than the employee’s membership in one of the aforementioned protected classes. If the termination can be deemed to have been caused by any just reason, such as misconduct or poor job performance by the employee, it is neither discriminatory nor a wrongful termination.
When an individual is wrongfully let go and he or she feels the action was discriminatory, he or she may file a discrimination claim with either the Washington State Human Rights Commission or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These agencies handle the same types of cases, and it is not necessary to file the same claim with both. In fact, you can indicate that you’d like to cross-file your claim with both agencies, which means that the two can work on it together. Whether you choose the state or federal agency can depend on the size of your company. If fifteen or more people work at your company, you may file your discrimination claim with either agency. A company must have fifteen or more employees to be covered by federal discrimination laws. If you work at a smaller company with eight to fourteen employees, you’ll need to file your claim with the Washington State Human Rights Commission.
The statute of limitations for a discrimination lawsuit in Washington is three years. That means that you have three years following the date of your termination to file your claim and potentially resolve your case. Once this three years has passed, you no longer have the right to file a discrimination claim for your wrongful dismissal.
Employment Attorneys Can Help
Take charge of your career and fight back against your wrongful termination. At HKM Employment Attorneys LLP, we’re here to advocate for you by helping you file your discrimination claim and get the justice you deserve. Call us at 206-838-2504 to discuss the specifics of your case and sort out the best way to proceed. You deserve justice for your wrongful termination.
