Dealing with employment issues in Massachusetts can be very difficult if you are part of an at-will employment contract. An at-will is a contract-based relationship between an employee and employer in which the employee has the power to terminate any employee from the job at any given point in time. This sounds harsh, but Massachusetts is also an employment area, which means most workplaces there follow an at-will contract system.Β
When you are working in Massachusetts, there is a high chance that you could have been a victim of job termination for an illegal reason. Consulting a good Massachusetts wrongful termination attorney will increase the chances of you getting justice at your workplace.
What Is An At-Will Contract?Β
An at-will contract means that the employer will have a right to remove an employee from their job for a particular reason or maybe for no reason at any time. While this sounds unfair, this is what is written in the contract. In this type of contract, the employees also have the free will to end their position or resign from their position at any given time without any prior warning to the employer.Β
There is no concept of notice periods in this type of contract, and there are no different legal requirements for having any notice periods either. This gives power to both sides to end the employment at any given point in time. However, it does not mean that any employer can terminate the employee illegally by means of discrimination or wrongful termination.Β
In What Scenarios Can My Employer Not Fire Me?Β
Companies and organizations in Massachusetts have a lot of issues when it comes to firing employees illegally. Employers do not have the right to fire an employee for illegal reasons. There can be multiple scenarios, such as unlawful discrimination, where an employee is being discriminated against by race, caste, color, or gender. There are many other aspects, such as national origin or sexual orientation, that motivate many employers to fire or terminate a particular employee.Β
This is a severe issue, and it is illegal to fire someone on the basis of discrimination. You will have a very valid claim if you find that your termination was due to discrimination. If any employment agreement was made and you were fired in violation of that agreement, you can file a claim against your employer because this comes under the category of firing an employee illegally.Β