Wrongful Termination

Very often, when someone is fired from their job, they believe it was “wrongful”. It is important to keep in mind that the term “wrongful” has a specific legal meaning that differs from the everyday use of the word.

In the dictionary, “wrongful” mean something that was unfair or unjust. Quite often, when someone is fired, it really was for an unfair or unjust reason.

But, in order to have a legal claim for wrongful termination, the law requires something more. It requires that the firing be “wrongful” in the eyes of the law.

As we previously wrote here , Mississippi is an at-will employment state. That means that unless the employee has a contract with a specific length of employment that is guaranteed, the employee can be fired for “a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all.”

Think about that for a moment. If you do not have a contract, you can be fired for a bad reason. That would be unjust or unfair, but it would not be “wrongful” in the eyes of the law.

In our prior post we discussed exceptions to Mississippi’s at-will employment rule.

We also discussed a number of federal civil rights laws that prohibit termination based upon certain characteristics of the employee, such as race, sex, religion, and a number of other factors.

So, if an employee is terminated because of their religion, for example, the employer cannot hide behind the “bad reason” rule to justify the firing.

If you believe you have been wrongfully terminated in the eyes of the law, give us a call and let us assist you.

Panter Law Firm, PLLC, 7736 Old Canton Road, Suite B, Madison, MS 39110.

601-607-3156.

www.craigpanterlaw.com

Craig Painter

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