Legal Standards for Wrongful Termination

Employers cannot fire you on the basis of race, national origin, sex, faith, disability or age. Some laws also cover other groups, such as sexual identity and marital status, so reviewing state laws is still important. In addition, if you file a lawsuit against your boss for discriminating against you, these rules will usually prohibit retaliation in the form of getting fired.

Always record the situation you were terminated for. This includes who you have spoken to, what they have said, and the accompanying actions from both sides. I t may be useful to keep emails and make sure to make copies of all related emails as well.

Keep any information that might be appropriate, such as employee manuals, memos, brochures, instruction documents, or any written appraisal of your job. Be very, very careful when taking documents from your employer, pay attention to certain documents especially something that is marked confidential or for internal use only. Chances are high that your boss may challenge you for wrongfully acquiring that document.

You may want to have a journal that documents critical employment events such as performance evaluations, achievements, reprimands, pay increases, or other less formal acceptance or rejection statements may also be recorded. The date, time and place as well as who was present at all such events should be noted.