Wrongful Termination

“I was terminated without just cause.”

We hear this a lot as Columbus-based wrongful termination lawyers who represent workers in employment law cases all across Ohio.

Sadly, it is true that employers fire people for many reasons that have nothing to do with poor performance or financial circumstances that dictate reducing payroll. This happens even though several federal laws and sections of the Ohio Civil Rights Act make it illegal for companies and agencies to use discrimination or retaliation as the primary reason for terminating an employee.

Employees are protected from discrimination against their

• Race,
• National origin,
• Ethnicity,
• Age (especially employees older than 40),
• Sex,
• Pregnancy,
• Religion,
• Disability,
• Genetic profile, and
• Veteran status or military service.

Protected activities for which employees should not face retaliation include, but are not limited to,

• Requesting or using medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act,
• Asking for an accommodation for a temporary or permanent disability,
• Reporting discrimination against oneself or other people,
• Assisting in an investigation into a report of discrimination,
• Demanding the minimum wage and/or earned overtime,
• Demanding equal pay for doing the same job as a coworker who is of the opposite sex,
• Filing a workers’ compensation claim,
• Reporting safety hazards,
• Acting as a whistleblower to report fraud or violations of laws or regulations, and
• Asking for an accommodation of a religious observance.

If you recognize your situation in one of the above lists, you may have grounds for filing a wrongful termination complaint and pursuing a lawsuit against your former employer. Consulting with a wrongful termination attorney will help you understand whether you can and should take legal action.

The wrongful termination lawyer will also be able to walk you through the process of preparing and making an official complaint, going through an investigation, and collecting, organizing, and presenting evidence. This type of assistance can prove invaluable.

First, the state or federal agency you must contact will depend on why you believe you were illegally fired. For instance, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission handles race discrimination claims, while the Ohio Civil Rights Commission will handle some types of age discrimination claims. Those are far from the only possibilities.

Contacting the wrong agency will, at best, cause delays in your case. In some instances, starting at the wrong place closes off further attempts to hold an employer accountable for discrimination or retaliation. The attorney you contact will steer you in the right direction, protect your privacy, and help you with paperwork.

In all events, acting quickly is essential. The agencies that administer the laws that protect employees against wrongful termination generally set a six-month deadline for filing a complaint. This means that you must contact the agency within 180 days of the date on which you were fired for a discriminatory or retaliatory reason.

Contact our Experienced Wrongful Termination Lawyer

You can schedule an appointment with a wrongful termination lawyer by calling the Columbus offices of Agee Clymer Mitchell & Portman at (614) 221-3318 or by reaching out to us online. The initial discussion will cost you nothing.