Wrongful termination of an employee based on an illegal purpose is unlawful and subjects the employer to civil liability
The law deems the firing of an employee to be unlawful when the employer does so for a discriminatory or illegal purpose. For example, an employer terminates an employee because of the employee’s gender, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or disability.
Another illegal purpose is when the termination was done in retaliation for the employee reporting the employer to a governmental agency for violating the law. This type of employee is known as a “whistleblower” and belongs to a legally favored and protected class of employees.
You do not have to be a full-time employee or be hired under an employment contract to have the legal right to sue an employer for wrongful termination. All that is required is that you were working under the control and direction of an employer.
