Florida is an at-will employment state, meaning that employers have the general right to terminate a worker’s contract for no specific reason. However, there are some exceptions, like discrimination and objecting to unlawful workplace practices, that fall under wrongful termination.
If you believe that your former employer fired you illegally, seek employment dismissal legal counsel. A Florida wrongful termination attorney can help you seek compensation for lost benefits and the mental distress you suffered.
What Counts as Wrongful Termination in Florida?
Before hiring a labor law violation lawyer in Florida, you should understand what wrongful termination is. It’s illegal to fire an employee for:
- Protected characteristics like race, sex, age, national origin, religion, marital status, pregnancy, or disability. Terminating an employee’s contract based on any of these counts as discrimination.
- Whistleblowing. An employer can’t retaliate against an employee for protected whistleblowing activities, like reporting tax fraud or unsafe working conditions or calling out sexual or discriminatory harassment in the workplace.
- Claiming benefits through workers’ compensation. It’s illegal to fire or penalize an injured employee who makes a workers’ compensation claim.
- Taking leave because of sickness, bereavement, or a family member’s critical medical condition. In these scenarios, you’re protected if your company employs at least 50 workers and you have been employed for at least a year (not necessarily consecutive).
- Asking for owed wages or overtime. Your employer can’t fire you for requesting overtime pay or wages they owe you.
Breach of contract may also count as unlawful termination. For example, if your contract states that your employment can end early only for reasons A, B, or C, but you’re still fired with no explanation, you may be able to sue your employer with the proper workplace firing representation.
Proving Wrongful Termination
Employers rarely admit to firing workers unlawfully. Even if you belong to a protected category or lost your job shortly after reporting illicit practices in your company, your employer will claim that they terminated your contract for other reasons, like poor performance or general layoffs.
You will need to prove that what you experienced is wrongful termination. For instance, if you belong to a racial or religious minority and your employer fired you allegedly for not meeting performance standards, you should show that different standards applied to employees outside of your group.
Performance evaluations, communication records with your employer or manager, and other documentation can help you prove wrongful termination. You should also work with a Florida wrongful termination attorney who has a proven successful track record of representing similar cases.
How Much Is Your Case Worth?
When a wrongful job termination lawyer in Florida looks into your case, they’ll determine whether you have grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit and, if so, how much you may be able to claim.
Your award may include:
- Economic damages, including reimbursement for the wages you lost and promotions, bonuses, and other benefits you could have expected if you had continued in your former job.
- Emotional distress like anxiety, depression, and stress you suffered because you lost your position.
- Punitive damages if a court determines your employer acted with malicious intent. Courts award punitive damages to dissuade other employers from violating employee rights.
Do You Believe You Were Fired Unlawfully? Contact Mark J. Berkowitz, Fort Lauderdale Employment Law Attorney
If you think your former employer fired you illegally, consult unlawful termination attorney Mark J. Berkowitz. A staunch employee rights advocate, Mark Berkowitz will work hard to prove that you suffered wrongful termination and help you claim any applicable damages.Call (954) 527-0570 or fill out a quick contact form to consult a Florida wrongful termination attorney.