Massachusetts Wrongful Termination Attorneys
As a general rule, Massachusetts employers can use their own discretion when hiring and firing employees. Massachusetts is an at-will employment jurisdiction. Employers have the right to terminate an employee for essentially no reason at all. However, Massachusetts employers cannot fire a worker for an illegal reason, such as discrimination or retaliation.
At Console Mattiacci Law, LLC, our Massachusetts wrongful termination lawyers are dedicated advocates for workers throughout the state. If you believe you may have a claim for wrongful termination or wrongful discharge, contact the experienced Massachusetts employment lawyers at Console Mattiacci Law, LLC, to take on your claim and fight on your behalf.
What is a Wrongful Termination in Massachusetts?
Discrimination
Under federal law (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) and state law (Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act (FEPA)), workers in Massachusetts are protected from wrongful terminations. Companies cannot remove workers for discriminatory reasons. Protected factors include:
- Color;
- Gender;
- Race;
- National origin;
- Age;
- Pregnancy;
- Disability; and
- Sexual orientation.
If you feel as if your termination occurred on the basis of one or more of the above, you may have a wrongful termination claim. Talk to the attorneys at Console Mattiacci Law, LLC, to discuss your case and rights.
Termination in Retaliation
Workers have a right to raise complaints and exercise their other employment law rights without the fear of reprisal. For example, if a person informs a governing body of their employer’s wrongdoings and the employer fires the employee for speaking up, the employer could be in violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. As another example, an employer cannot terminate an employee’s contract simply because the employee exercised their rights under a state or federal law. If a worker files a sexual harassment complaint, they cannot be terminated in retaliation.
Discharge in Violation of Contract
Some wrongful terminations have nothing to do with discrimination or retaliation. Sometimes, a wrongful termination lawsuit arises out of a breach of contract. For instance, the specific language of a contract may prohibit an employer from terminating an employee’s contract. In that agreement, there may be a section that outlines the exact causes for termination. If the employer ends the relationship outside the terms of the contract, they could be held liable for wrongful termination.
Public Policy Violations
In most cases, if an employer asks an employee to do something and that employee refuses, the employer then lets the employee go and that is the end of that. Employers are allowed to assign job duties to their workers. However, in Massachusetts, an employer cannot violate public policy. In Massachusetts, there is what is called the “public policy exception” to at-will employment. Under this policy, an employer cannot terminate a person’s employment because that person refused to carry out a duty or responsibility that is in violation of a clearly mandated public policy and “strikes at the heart of a citizen’s social right, duties and responsibilities”
Console Mattiacci Law, LLC ǀ Massachusetts Wrongful Termination Lawyers
At Console Mattiacci Law, LLC, we are dedicated to fighting for the rights of Massachusetts workers who have faced wrongful discharge. If you suspect that you have a wrongful termination case, please reach out to our Massachusetts law firm to discuss your case today. Some employment claims have a strict 180-day deadline, so it is important to act quickly. Call us now at 617-665-6740 to set up a fully private initial consultation.