The question of what brings an employment termination from unfair to unlawful is one of the most important questions that can be posed in the context of employment law. When someone’s employment is terminated unfairly, as unfortunate as it may be, there is often not much legal recourse the individual can take. However, when someone’s termination is unlawful, then a wrongful termination lawsuit could help that individual get his or her job back, as well as be compensated for lost wages and anguish.
There are many things that might make a termination of employment unlawful. Among the most popular causes are discrimination and retaliation. Discrimination is a well-known concept, but retaliation may not be as clear, as it can sometimes depend on the action being retaliated against. If you face retaliation for selling company secrets to competitors, for example, then your termination may not be unlawful even if it is technically in retaliation; however, if you are fired for raising awareness of what you believe to be an illegal activity, then you could have a case.
A man and a woman who were recently fired from a Six Flags park in Central California are now accusing the park of wrongful termination. The pair claims that they discovered an issue with the quality of the park’s water, which they claim played a part in the deaths and health issues of some dolphins. The man brought these concerns to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and later the two employees were fired. They now claim that the termination was in retaliation for exposing the dangerous water conditions.
Obviously this case will have to play out in court before it is clear exactly what is going on, particularly because Six Flags has yet to comment on the issue. However, if these employees can prove that they were fired as a direct result of bringing these concerns up, concerns that were supported by a USDA inspection, then they may have a strong case. If you believe that you were wrongfully terminated, you can take legal action in an effort to be compensated and even get your job back.
Source: Insurance Journal, “Couple Sues Six Flags in Central California for Retaliation,” Nov. 2, 2015