Prohibited Personnel Practices - Wrongful Termination
Prohibited personnel practices are actions that are banned in the federal government workforce because they violate the merit system. Wrongful termination is one such practice that federal employees are protected from. Federal employees usually have the right to continued employment unless their employer can establish “just cause” for termination. If the termination was based upon a discriminatory action, then the firing is considered illegal.
Wrongful termination claims based on discrimination usually go before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Federal employees can experience discriminatory wrongful termination based on different characteristics including:
- Gender
- Race
- Age
- National Origin
- Pregnancy
- Religion
- Disability
While many wrongful terminations are based on discriminatory actions, employees are sometimes fired for other non-discriminatory reasons. Other reasons why an employee might be wrongfully terminated include disciplinary actions and whistleblower retaliation. For instance, perhaps you were engaged in a legally protected activity, such as filing a complaint about your employer’s harassing behavior, or you reported your employer’s illegal actions, and you were thereafter fired, your termination could be considered wrongful. In addition, wrongful termination may also be considered “constructive.” Constructive wrongful termination happens when an employer makes workplace conditions so terrible that an employee is forced to quit their job. However, if the treatment of an employee or work conditions are so horrible that a reasonable individual would or could not continue working there, then the employee might have the option to quit and seek damages for lost wages.
If you believe that you or someone you know has been wrongfully terminated, it is important that you consider consulting with a knowledgeable and dedicated Federal Employment Law Attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case. Call the Vaughn Law Firm today at (877) 615-9495 and schedule your free consultation.
