You can sue for wrongful termination in Pennsylvania. There are numerous federal and state laws that protect you from an illegal firing.
Employment in the United States is “at will.” This means that your company can fire you for any non-illegal reason. An illegal reason is one that violates an employment law, such as discrimination based on protected statuts.
If your company terminated you for an illegal reason, we refer to this as wrongful termination. Contrary to popular belief, your employer does not necessarily have to follow the policies set forth in its employee handbook. Absent discriminatory reasons, a company can fire you for any reason.
It may seem counterintuitive, but your best protection against wrongful termination in Pennsylvania is federal law. It provides the broadest protections under its
statutes.
Wrongful termination is the violation of employment law that ends in your company firing you. It might be a violation of statutes or other state laws.
So, how do federal statutes protect you against wrongful termination in Pennsylvania? Back in the 1960s, Congress passed a series of statutes to protect employees in the workplace.
You may be familiar with the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited
discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and later sexual orientation.
Specifically, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, commonly referred to as
Title VII, protects workers and job applicants from employment discrimination based on
race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
These protections apply to you throughout the country, including in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and throughout Pennsylvania.
You can absolutely sue for wrongful termination and you should contact a wrongful termination lawyer if you suspect that you have been fired. Also, you can consult with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”).
The EEOC is a federal agency that investigates employment violations.
