To lose your job is a distressing experience, but it can become much more challenging if you think your employer terminated you unjustly. While it may feel overwhelming when you first face termination, there are steps you can take to protect your rights.
Knowing how to seek recourse can make the process less overwhelming.
Review your employment contracts
About 150,000 people face wrongful termination every year, but to win a claim, they must provide accurate documentation. Before you can file a claim, review the employment contracts, agreements and other policies that you had in place. You should look for any grievance procedures and termination clauses that may affect your case.
Collect all documentation
Preserve all relevant documents related to your employment. Keep all pay stubs, employment contracts, performance evaluations, emails and all records that could support a wrongful termination claim. If you have a comprehensive paper trail, you have a higher likelihood of winning your claim.
File your complaint
You may want to start with the HR department in your company. Filing an internal claim is the first step. However, you can escalate your wrongful termination case by filing a complaint with a regulatory agency. Most employees will contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to resolve the claim. When you contact the EEOC, you must follow all procedures and deadlines. Technicalities can invalidate your claim.
While filing a claim for wrongful termination can become an emotional, stressful process, you should maintain professionalism and avoid negative comments about your employers or colleagues.