World Executives Digest | Losing a job is always a difficult thing. However, it’s much worse when it comes unexpected or for the wrong reasons. There’s nothing worse than performing admirably in your workplace and being fired for what you are or the condition that you are in. This, however, usually isn’t allowed by law, which is why there’s so much you can do in order to make things right (or, at least, less wrong). Here are four steps to help you handle a wrongful termination.
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Knowing how to recognize wrongful termination
The first thing is knowing how to recognize it. For instance, if you suspect that you’ve been fired due to your gender, age or race, this is wrongful termination and you have the right to take legal actions against your employers. Other than this, national origin, sexual orientation or marital status may also be a root for wrongful termination. Aside from this, pregnancy, handicap, asking for reasonable accommodation for a disability or taking a medical leave can also be a reason why you’re being fired. Lastly, if you’re involved in a whistleblowing action, chances are that you’re in danger of employment contract termination.
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Contact legal experts
Regardless of what you decide to do, chances are that you won’t be able to do it all on your own. Why should you, when it’s so easy to find reliable compensation lawyers? They can help you out in more than one way, ranging from an advisory role all the way to laying down the groundwork for the actual lawsuit. Specialization in the field of work law and compensation is definitely something you need in order for your employer not to exploit a specific set of circumstances or find a loophole. Still, finding a legal expert isn’t the end of your troubles. This leads us to our next point…
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Prepare yourself for this meeting
Even after you’ve contacted a legal expert and scheduled a meeting, you have much work to do. Most importantly, you need to properly prepare yourself by gathering all the evidence and data that they might find relevant. First, you need to submit your employment contract, as well as any other relevant employment-related documents. We’re talking about termination notice, performance evaluations, doctor notes and even emails between you and your boss/coworkers. These are incredibly important in order to determine whether one of the reasons from the first section was, indeed, the reason for wrongful termination.
Other than this, you need to compose a chronology of the events in order to help the legal expert in question build your case. Also, keep in mind that you need to be ready and willing to tell the whole story in order to provide context for some of the events and actions that took place. Here, it might be a good idea to write down some of the elements or put the entire story on paper so that you don’t miss out a crucial piece of information. Remember, everything is relevant. Also, make sure that these is enough trust between you and your legal representative. For this reason, be as honest with them as possible.
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Have an emergency fund
Even if everything goes your way, chances are that you won’t receive your compensation money right away, which is why it may be worth your while to have an emergency fund. The rule of thumb is that you need to set aside at least the amount that will be enough to cover three months of living expenses. If you don’t find this to be to your liking, you might want to go for the good old 50/30/20 rule. Otherwise, you might be desperate in this scenario and accept a deal that’s not as favorable as it should have been. In other words, you need to take steps to protect yourself before such a thing even happens.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that fighting for what’s yours is not just an option but also your duty. First of all, you don’t have to face risks of the job market once more because of their prejudice or self-interest. Teaching them a lesson might seem petty. However, it’s just as valid of a reason for you to do so. Second, if they’ve done it to you, chances are that they’ll do it to someone else, which means that by taking legal action you’re also protecting others, not just looking after yourself. In other words, it’s definitely something that you have to do regardless of your initial reluctance to do so.
