If you were just terminated, you may have a claim for wrongful termination against your employer. While not every termination is a wrongful termination, some terminations violate the law.
In Connecticut, there are two types of wrongful terminations -- statutory and common law. A statutory wrongful termination claim is when the reason for your termination violates a particular statute. For example, the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act makes it illegal for an employer to terminate you for one of several reasons, including your age, your race, your religion, your gender, or your sexual orientation. Similarly, Connecticut's whistleblower statute, Connecticut General Statutes Section 31-51m, males it illegal to terminate an employee who has reported illegal or unethical practices by the employer.
The other type of wrongful termination, common law wrongful termination, occurs when the reason for the termination, while not necessarily violating a particular statute, violates an important public policy as expressed in the statutes or regulations of the State. In the seminal case of Sheets v. Teddy's Frosted Foods, Inc., 179 Conn 471 (1980) the plaintiff reported potential violations of state law to his employer, and subsequently was terminated, allegedly for poor performance. The Connecticut Supreme Court held that a termination that violated Connecticut's public policy violated the law, and thus supported a claim for wrongful termination.
If you believe you have been wrongfully terminated, call the Law Offices of Anthony J. Pantuso, III at 203-726-0284.
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