Washington DC Wrongful Termination Lawyer
If you’ve lost your job due to discrimination, retaliation, or another unwarranted reason, contact a wrongful termination attorney in Washington DC to file a complaint and seek justice.
Being unexpectedly laid off or fired from work can be difficult for you and your family. Not only will you experience a significant loss of income from the termination, but you’ll have to deal with the shift in lifestyle. Unemployment isn’t easy, and it can be much harder to handle when you know that your employer let you go for reasons that weren’t fair.
Thankfully, the United States has established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as a way to handle disputes between employees and employers. If you’ve been wrongfully terminated and you believe workplace discrimination, retaliation, or some other form of mistreatment was the cause, you can file a complaint with the EEOC and seek a remedy in Washington DC.
Our attorneys at Snider & Associates, LLC have worked with the EEOC on numerous cases. We can assist you in filing an official complaint, and if the EEOC doesn’t agree with you, a Washington DC wrongful termination lawyer from our firm can try to escalate the incident to a lawsuit.
Federal Laws That Can Prevent Wrongful Termination
The federal government has various statutes in place to prevent wrongful termination from happening. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees nationwide from discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, and national origin. There are numerous other statutes that also protect against discrimination, which is a common reason for wrongful termination.
Some of these antidiscrimination federal statutes include:
- The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
- The Equal Pay Act
- The Americans with Disabilities Act
- The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
Antidiscrimination laws often also address retaliation, which is when an employer mistreats an employee because they’ve previously submitted a workplace complaint. It’s unlawful for employers to terminate employees in an act of retaliation.
Filing a Wrongful Termination Claim with the EEOC
It’s required to file a claim with the EEOC before you can file a lawsuit. To file a claim with the EEOC, you can go to your nearest EEOC office or file online, by phone, or by mail. Speaking to an EEOC staff member can ensure that your incident is explained in the most detail possible. You can provide the EEOC with evidence, including pay stubs, contracts, or witness testimonies.
Once the EEOC receives your claim, they’ll take up to 180 days to make a decision. In their decision-making process, they may suggest that you and your employer attend mediation to remedy the issue. If the issue can’t be remedied, they’ll continue to review the incident and come to a conclusion on their own.
Once a decision has been made, you can either accept the suggested remedies, which may include a severance package and penalties against your employer, or you can request notice for a right to sue. Once the right to sue has been granted, you’ll be able to file a lawsuit in Washington DC.
Contact a Washington DC Wrongful Termination Attorney
While you have to file a complaint with the EEOC before pursuing a lawsuit, it can be helpful to hire an attorney as soon as you lose your job in order to have legal guidance throughout the claims process. To discuss your case with a Washington DC wrongful termination lawyer from Snider & Associates, LLC, fill out the contact form below or call 410-653-9060 to schedule a consultation.