As the general manager of a successful company, you never thought your job was in jeopardy. That all changed one day when you walked into the owner’s office to discover you no longer had a job with the company. The first thought that came to you was you had been wrongfully terminated as a general manager. However, employers have considerable legal leeway when it comes to terminating workers. Unless your former employer broke a state or federal law, you probably do not have a general manager wrongful termination case.
Can a General Manager Be Fired Without Cause?
According to a legal principle called at-will employment, employers can terminate a worker without giving a reason why. Your former employer had the legal right to fire you unexpectedly, for no apparent reason. For example, your employer decided to fire you to promote an up-and-coming employee who had less experience and thus, worked for a lower salary. Your former employer did not have to explain the reason behind promoting the less experienced employee. At-will employment also grants employers the power to change the job responsibilities associated with a general manager position.
What is Considered Wrongful Termination?
To be wrongfully terminated as a general manager, your former employer had to violate one or more state and/or federal employment laws. The most common violation of employment law concerns Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Under Title VII, an employer cannot terminate a worker for a discriminatory reason. Factors covered by Title VII include age, national origin, and sexual orientation. Proving you lost your job because of discrimination requires the collection of persuasive evidence, as well as the accounts of several witnesses.
Wrongful termination of a general manager might also involve an act of retaliation. Whistleblowers that report violations of the law receive legal protections granted by state and federal labor statutes. If you signed an employment contract as a general manager, violating any clause written into the contract represents an act of general manager wrongful termination.
What Damages Are Included in a General Manager Wrongful Termination Claim?
As a victim of wrongful termination, you have the right to seek both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages recover tangible financial losses, such as back pay and the lack of income you should have generated in the future. You also have the right to receive compensation for lost benefits, such as bonuses and health insurance. Non-economic damages refer to the pain and suffering you experienced because of wrongful termination. Losing a job for the wrong reason can trigger mental anguish and emotional distress, both of which might hinder your search for another job as a general manager.
If you file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages, the judge hearing your case might award you punitive damages. This type of financial award does not pay for any tangible expenses, nor does cover the issues that arise because of pain and suffering. A judge awards punitive damages to punish a company for committing an act of wrongful termination, as well as to deter the company from committing a future act of wrongful termination.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation
If you lost your general manager job because of an act of wrongful termination, you have the right to fight back by seeking just compensation for your losses. Schedule a free case evaluation today with an employment attorney to determine whether you have a strong enough case to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages.
