[MD] I believe I was unfairly terminated from my job. Do I have a case?
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Lawsuits for wrongful termination have to be based on claims of illegal discrimination or retaliation. (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964)
Unfortunately, outside of these limited circumstances, an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason, or for no reason at all. An employer is not legally required to provide a reason for termination to an employee upon request.
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Dear Sir/Madam, my employment was unfairly terminated in October 2023.
I'm sorry to hear about your situation. Can you tell me more about the circumstances surrounding your termination in October 2023?
My employment was governed by the laws of Maryland. The organization, which is an international non-profit NGO, is headquartered in Silver Spring, MD.
Were you given any reason for your termination by your employer?
There was no specific reason. They only indicated that my conduct is not aligned but did not tell me what conduct it was, even after I asked.
Is there anything else the employment lawyer should know before I connect you? Rest assured they'll be able to help with your unfair termination.
No.
I'm sorry to hear that you were terminated from your job. Do you have any reason to believe your termination was based on your age, race, gender, sexual identity, or disability status?
No, my termination was not based on any of the characteristics you mentioned. It was more related to retaliation orchestrated and influenced by my supervisor without me being given a warning or an opportunity to defend myself.
Lawsuits for wrongful termination have to be based on claims of illegal discrimination or retaliation. (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964)
Unfortunately, outside of these limited circumstances, an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason, or for no reason at all. An employer is not legally required to provide a reason for termination to an employee upon request.
My termination was actually akin to retaliation. Around December 2023, I noticed some bad procurement practices which I pointed out and communicated via email, and blind copied our HQ. At the time I noticed it, I was acting in my supervisor's position while he was on leave. He was upset that I put the issue in writing, and since then, he began targeting me for termination by raising baseless issues about my attendance in the office, accusing me of abusing culture, and micromanaging me.
Retaliation in the legal sense is very limited. It has to relate to an employer taking adverse action against an employee after the employee has filed a discrimination complaint, reported a safety hazard, or assisted in a legal investigation. Were the procurement activities undertaken by your employer illegal?
No, they were not illegal. However, the team was sidelining other firms by introducing evaluation criteria that were not in the tender documents—something I pointed out and was vocal about in team meetings.
I see. Unfortunately, that situation would not be grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit. Those suits must be based on illegal discrimination or retaliation. I'm not suggesting your termination was fair or right, but it was not illegal.
