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Wrongful Termination

Almost every American worker is employed at will, which means you can be fired for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all — just not an illegal one. Unfair is not the test. The question that decides a wrongful termination case is whether the firing fell into one of the recognised exceptions, and the deadlines for acting are short. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, any hour — and a one-hour consultation with a licensed US attorney ($195, a fixed fee) can be booked right on the call.

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An EEOC charge must generally be filed within 180 calendar days of the discriminatory act, extended to 300 days where a state or local agency enforces a law prohibiting the same discrimination. Crucially, that clock does NOT pause while you pursue an internal grievance, a union grievance, arbitration or mediation.

Wrongful Termination at a glance

At-will is the default

No reason is required to fire you — only a lawful one

Discrimination is the main exception

Race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability and genetic information under federal law, with states adding more

Retaliation is often the stronger claim

Being punished for complaining or reporting is separately illegal, even if the underlying complaint fails

Contracts and handbooks can bind

A written contract, and sometimes a handbook, can limit at-will termination

180 or 300 days

The EEOC charge deadline, and it does not pause for internal processes

The exceptions that actually work

Discrimination: firing because of a protected characteristic under federal law, or the wider list many states add including sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status and more. Retaliation: firing because you complained about discrimination, reported safety violations, filed a workers' compensation claim, took protected leave, or blew the whistle — and retaliation claims often succeed where the underlying complaint does not, because the timing speaks for itself. Contract: an express employment agreement, a collective bargaining agreement, or in some states an implied promise in a handbook. Public policy: being fired for refusing to break the law, serving on a jury, or exercising a legal right. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

How these cases are actually proved

Employers rarely announce an illegal reason, so cases are built on timing, comparators and inconsistency. Timing: how soon after your complaint, your leave, or your disclosure did the discipline start. Comparators: who else did the same thing and kept their job. Inconsistency: an employer whose stated reason changes between the termination meeting, the unemployment hearing and the litigation has handed you the case. Gather your handbook, performance reviews, emails and any written complaint before you lose access to the systems — access usually ends the moment you are fired. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

The practical order of operations

Do not sign a severance agreement on the spot. Severance almost always waives every claim you have, and workers over 40 are entitled by federal law to a consideration period and a revocation window for age claims, which tells you the law expects you to think about it. File for unemployment benefits promptly — an employer contesting them creates a sworn record of their stated reason, which is useful later. Diarise the EEOC deadline immediately, because the internal appeal you are waiting on does not stop that clock. Talk it through with a lawyer now →

If you have been fired, step by step

Diarise 180 days from the termination today300 in most states, but plan for 180 — internal processes do not pause it.

Preserve your documents before access is cutHandbook, reviews, emails, your written complaints.

Do not sign severance without reading what it waivesIt gives up every claim you have. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, any hour — and a one-hour consultation with a licensed US attorney ($195, a fixed fee) can be booked right on the call.

Wrongful Termination — your questions answered

My boss fired me for no reason. Can I sue?

Usually not on that basis alone. At-will employment means no reason is required. The question is whether the real reason was an illegal one — discrimination, retaliation for a protected complaint or activity, breach of a contract, or a public policy violation. The most productive question is not 'was this fair' but 'what happened in the weeks before, and who else did the same thing and kept their job'.

Does the EEOC deadline pause while I appeal internally?

No, and this is where good claims die. The EEOC states plainly that time limits generally will not be extended while you try to resolve the dispute through an internal grievance procedure, a union grievance, arbitration or mediation. Run the internal process if you want to, but file the charge within the deadline anyway.

Should I sign the severance agreement?

Not without reading exactly what it waives, and not on the spot. Severance agreements typically release every claim you have, sometimes including claims you do not yet know about. If you are 40 or over, federal law entitles you to a period to consider it and a window to revoke after signing for age discrimination claims. If you think you may have a discrimination or retaliation claim, get it reviewed before you sign — afterwards is too late.