Losing your job can throw your life into disarray. This is particularly true if you didn’t expect to lose your job.
Depending on the circumstances, it’s possible you were wrongfully terminated. This is a topic you may want to discuss in greater detail with a legal professional. A wrongful termination attorney can review your case and determine if you have grounds to take legal action against your former employer.
In the meantime, it’s wise to quickly take these steps as soon as you’ve been told your services are no longer needed:
This is something you can (and should) do in the immediate aftermath of being told you’re fired. Too often, employees assume they must sign severance agreements right away or they risk forfeiting the potential benefits said agreements may offer.
That’s not necessarily the case. Unless you’ve negotiated your severance agreement ahead of time, it’s wise to review your severance agreement thoroughly before signing. You may be able to negotiate for better terms. Perhaps more importantly, if you sign a severance agreement without checking it, you might accidentally hinder your right to sue your employer.
Asking your employer to provide a thorough explanation regarding why you were terminated could potentially help you build a wrongful termination case later. If the reason your employer gives conflicts with reality (for example, they cite non-existent performance problems), you could reference this when demonstrating that you were actually fired for illegal reasons.
Consider asking your employer to provide you with an email or letter formally explaining their reason for terminating your employment. At the very least, ask for there to be a relatively neutral witness in the room with you when you get the news. You want documentation that your employer gave a certain reason for firing you so that they can’t dispute your story later.
If you believe you’re being fired wrongly, you may understandably be upset. Don’t let these feelings influence your behavior.
You don’t want to give your employer any “ammunition” that could potentially be used against you in a future case. For example, if you were to react to your firing with anger, they might be able to use this as an example that you’re a “volatile” employee who others struggle to get along with.
Instead of allowing your potentially justified anger to have a negative impact on how you behave when you’re let go from your job, use that energy productively by contacting an employment law attorney and scheduling a consultation if you believe your employer broke the law when they fired you.
As you prepare for your consultation, make a list of reasons you think your employer might have had to fire you that differ from the reason they gave. For example, perhaps they claim they’ve fired you because your performance has declined, when in reality you believe they’ve fired you because you blew the whistle on safety violations in the workplace.
At the Kaufman Law Firm, serving Westlake Village and Los Angeles, our wrongful termination attorney is on hand to help you pursue justice. Learn more about how we can help by contacting us online.
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Your job is more than just a source of income. It is a major part of your lifestyle. If you have been the victim of wrongful termination, wrongful demotion or any kind of discriminatory business practices, it is time to take action and contact a Ventura employment law attorney that can help. Attorney Matthew A. Kaufman and the team at The Kaufman Law Firm bring experience and a vast arsenal of legal resources to help clients recover the money they deserve.
To learn more, contact our Westlake Village law office today and schedule an initial evaluation to discuss your case.