3 Things You Should Know About Wrongful Termination in Kentucky

Being fired, no matter the reason, is typically an unpleasant experience. But more than just uncomfortable and upsetting, being let go from your place of employment could even be illegal when the firing constitutes wrongful termination. Before you start building your case against your employer, or deciding that your firing was legal, consider these five things about wrongful termination. For accurate legal information that is specific to your case, contact the experienced Kentucky employment attorneys at Rosenbaum Thompson for a free consultation today.

If You Miss Work for a Specific Reason, You Could Be Protected from Retaliation

Missing work is typically an offense that can result in termination, but not always. If you miss work for certain reasons, you are legally protected (under federal law) from being retaliated against. These reasons include:

• Taking time off for family and medical reasons, including taking time off to have a child or care for a newborn, care for a family member with a serious health condition, to seek treatment for one’s own serious health condition, and more. This right is protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and applies to qualifying employees. The law applies to all public sector employers, and private sector employers with 50 or more employees. An employee is eligible when they have worked for at least 12 months, and have worked for at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period.
• Taking time off for jury duty. If you are called for jury duty, you are protected from being fired during the time that you are absent from work.
• Taking time to vote. Kentucky law requires that employers provide employees with at least four hours’ time off to vote without being penalized.

You Cannot Be Fired Based on Sex, Age, Race, Origin, Language, Sexual Orientation, Pregnancy or Disability

While you may not be permitted to talk about politics or religion in the workplace, you cannot be fired based on your religion alone. In fact, if you are fired because of your sex, age, race, origin, language, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or disability, your employer has violated discrimination laws, and you may have a wrongful termination case.

You Can Seek Damages If You Are Wrongfully Terminated

If you can prove that you were indeed wrongfully terminated, you can seek damages for losses you have incurred. In addition to seeking remedies–which may include wage replacement for the time away from work, reinstatement to your position, etc.–you may also seek compensation attorneys’ fees, punitive damages, and more.

An important consideration to remember is that some employment protections might be based on contractual agreement.

Contact Our Kentucky Wrongful Termination Lawyers Today

If you are terminated from your place of employment and you believe that the termination was wrongful, we encourage you to contact our experienced Kentucky wrongful termination attorneys at the law offices of Rosenbaum Thompson today. We will review your case and provide you with the legal counsel you’re looking for. Call us today at (859) 259-1321 or contact us online.