Good businesses prepare for the worst, and minimize risks where they can. This is especially true with respect to unnecessary risks of lawsuits. A wrongful termination lawsuit can happen for a number of reasons, but in many cases they are avoidable. It starts with conducting a comprehensive analysis of your company’s operations. A Connecticut business attorney can review your company’s practices and procedures and identify – and help eliminate – potential threats.
Most terminations in Connecticut, whether they are fair or not, are legal. That’s because Connecticut is an at-will employment state. However, there are certain legal protections that exist, and not all of them may be obvious. Discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, or other protected statuses could trigger a state or federal lawsuit. Companies are generally aware of prohibitions against this sort of conduct.
But that doesn’t mean they’ve taken steps to avoid the risk of becoming entangled in a complaint. There is a difference between understanding how to conduct a business and making sure your directors and managers do too. Your Connecticut business attorney can review your company’s policies, training and managerial procedures, and other internal operations. We will look for red flags or potential areas of vulnerability.
Remember, however, that wrongful terminations can occur for many other reasons. Your company must take steps to ensure the rights of employees are protected in all respects. Start with recognizing these commonly overlooked employee protections:
- Reporting unsafe or illegal working conditions
- Whistleblower protections
- Exercising the right to vote
- Complaining about sexual harassment
- Legitimate use of family and medical leave
- Serving on a jury
These and other rights may be protected under both state and federal laws. A Connecticut business law attorney can review these protections with you. Understanding how employees are protected will help you revise policies and change operations that may violate worker rights.
Wrongful termination can occur for reasons other than violations of protected classes or statutory rights. A common source of employee rights are contracts. Although Connecticut is an at-will state, many businesses choose to enter into employment contracts with their workers. If you terminate an employee in violation of that contract, you could be facing a lawsuit for significant damages. At the same time, there may be legitimate reasons to fire an employee within the confines of your contract. Let an experienced Connecticut business lawyer review your employment contracts and advise you of your rights and obligations under them.
Companies have numerous working parts, and the more employees, the more complicated workplace relationships can be. It’s important that managers, supervisors, and other authority figures in your organization understand employee protections. Sometimes this means ensuring they have gone through sufficient training. Other times it’s as simple as having them read, understand, and agree to the company’s internal policies. Regardless, all employees should know what laws protect them as well as their co-workers. Have a Connecticut business law attorney thoroughly review your business operations and check for vulnerabilities.
There are procedures your company may be able to adopt to lessen the likelihood of a wrongful termination lawsuit. It helps, for instance, to create a paper trail documenting why someone is being fired. Prior to taking action, you may wish to initiate meetings with the employee and try to resolve any outstanding problems. These meetings can be documented to show that, if the employee is ultimately fired, it was for a valid reason. A lawyer can help you adopt and use these procedures to protect your business.
Talk to a Connecticut Business Law Attorney About Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Protection
At Aeton Law Partners, we understand the difficulties of running a business. We also know there are ways to eliminate legal risks so you can focus on your company. Let us help. We have the experience it takes to protect your organization. Reach out to us today for a consultation.