Cleveland Employment Law Attorneys
When Donald Trump barks, "You're fired," to a member of his workforce on The Apprentice, some viewers will invariably disagree with the decision. Predictably, the "fired" employee seldom, if ever, believes the decision is justified, and often feels hurt, betrayed and angry. In this way, television mimics reality.
The terminated employee seldom, if ever, agrees with the employer's decision, and usually does not feel the termination was justified. Unfortunately, Ohio law typically does not require that the discharge of an employee be justified (or, "for cause"). Rather, Ohio is an at-will employment state. This means that an employer can legally fire an employee for any reason or no reason, with precious few exceptions. Under both Ohio and federal law, it is illegal to base a decision to terminate or demote an employee based upon gender, race or age. Additionally, it is illegal to terminate or demote an employee in retaliation for engaging in certain protected activities – such as filing a workers' compensation claim.
If you believe you have been the victim of illegal retaliation, prepare of a concise timeline to help you explain to the attorney when and why the working relationship deteriorated. You may also want to prepare a list of reasons you believe you have been the victim of illegal discrimination, and any list of misconduct.
If you believe that you were terminated in retaliation for filing a workers' compensation claim, documents regarding when the work-related injury occurred, when you filed a worker's compensation claim, and when disciplinary action was first taken against you will be helpful to evaluating your potential claim. In retaliation cases, courts are generally inclined to find retaliation when the termination occurs soon after the employee has engaged in protected activity.
Learn more about what steps you can take to help in evaluating your potential claim.
Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Receives $750,000 Award
In one example, we obtained a jury verdict of more than $750,000 in a sexual harassment case for a young woman who was sexually assaulted by her supervisor at a nightclub after hours. Even though the employer knew about the attack, the employer permitted the supervisor to continue supervising her. When the young woman asked for a shift change, the employer refused to rearrange her schedule and threatened to fire her if she pursued her criminal charges.
Frightened of losing her job, she dropped her criminal charges only to then be fired a short time later for alleged performance deficiencies. When she proved that the performance deficiencies were bogus, the employer coerced a co-worker to falsely accuse her of sexual misconduct and then fired her over these false accusations.
At trial, our attorneys proved that the real reason for her termination was retaliation for complaining about the supervisor's conduct and pursuing a criminal complaint. The jury unanimously held that the employer and supervisor were liable for punitive damages and attorneys' fees. Contact our team of discrimination lawyers today!
Free Consultation · Contingency Fees · Spanish and Ukrainian Interpreters
Should you file a lawsuit? You won't know until you talk to an experienced attorney. Contact us or call us at (888) 633-0360 to arrange a free, confidential consultation. You can get answers, find out what happened, and help prevent similar needless injuries from happening to other people, too.
We handle our cases on a contingency-fee basis: if we can't help you recover money damages, you won't pay attorneys' fees. When you meet with us to discuss your case, it will be with an attorney, not an investigator or paralegal. We also have Spanish and Ukrainian interpreters available. Contact us today to get us started on investigating your claim from our Cleveland headquarters.
Experienced, Sophisticated, Reputable.
For more than 65 years, the attorneys at Spangenberg Shibley & Liber have represented victims of employer discrimination and sexual harassment in lawsuits throughout Ohio and beyond. Our attorneys have access to the most sophisticated technical and medical resources available to investigate and prepare your case to win. When the insurance company lawyers see our name on the lawsuit, they know it is well researched, carefully investigated and thoroughly prepared. For you, that means insurance company lawyers come to the table prepared to discuss a full and fair settlement - or we'll see them in court.
Remember, if you have a claim, there is most likely a statute of limitations clock running, after which you won't have the right to file a lawsuit. Protect your rights by contacting us today or calling us at (888) 633-0360.
