Wrongful termination continues to be an issue in many workplaces throughout the country. Sometimes, it is blatant, but a lot of it is less so. Employers often disguise their reason to want someone gone behind something else.
Here are a few ways an employer might use to present an illegal termination as one that is justifiable.
1. They blame it on the need to save money
Employees sometimes claim they need to cut staff to save money. If you notice a theme around who loses their job, such as those over a certain age, nationality or gender, then it is worth considering whether discrimination was the true reason those people lost their jobs while others didn’t.
2. They blame it on poor performance
Have you ever had an employer or manager suddenly turn on you? You were doing your job just as well as before, but all of a sudden you started to receive unjustified criticism and negative performance reviews. Employers can sometimes do this to build a case for firing someone when they know the real reason is illegal.
3. They encourage you to leave
“Quiet firing” refers to employers doing things that encourage an employee to quit when they know they don’t have a valid reason to fire them. Let’s say your employer finds out you put in a complaint against them. They know they can’t just fire you, even though they want to. Instead, they try to get you to be the one who decides to cut ties. They could change your schedule to one they know makes it impossible for you to pick up your kids from school or strip you of the duties you liked and assign you tasks that they know you will find uninspiring.
Learning more about your options could help if you find yourself in one of these situations. Getting legal guidance is a good idea.