I was fired without cause. What are my options?

Most states are at-will employment states, which means that an employee can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. However, an employee cannot be fired for a reason that is discriminatory or retaliatory. So if you get fired without cause, you should sit down with an attorney and really try to figure out if there is an illegal reason that led to your termination. Perhaps you opposed discrimination at work, perhaps you filed a complaint about discrimination, perhaps you complained about your unpaid wages, or tried to claim your worker’s compensation benefits. If you were fired in retaliation for any of those activities, then your termination may have been wrongful.



In addition, you may be able to negotiate a severance package with your employer, but also you should be careful because if you do have a valid claim for wrongful termination and you signed a severance agreement, you will likely give up any right to bring a lawsuit in court.