Every long-term employee in Indiana deserves to be rewarded for his or her hard work. Investigations should follow terminations that may have been carried out without valid reason, as an employer’s decision to discharge an employee may be deemed unfair. As an employee, you may even file a wrongful discharge lawsuit against your employer to fight for your rights as a worker in Indiana.
A case in Mansfield, Georgia, was so upsetting to the townspeople that it is worth discussing even though it is in another state. After 37 years of working her job, a city clerk was suddenly let go. While no mention was given of why the city clerk was fired by the then-mayor, it was one of many moves by the former mayor that city residents did not find favor in. The former mayor resigned in March 2012 as a result of the controversies surrounding her term in office and the looming threat of an investigation into the misappropriation of city funds.
Although the former clerk did not sue the city for wrongful discharge, she filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Months later, the city and former clerk reached a settlement of $14,000, paid to the clerk for damages in the handling of her dismissal.
To think that such discharges can happen to employees who have remained at a job for nearly four decades is certainly unsettling news. You can be terminated from your job for many reasons, but not all reasons are valid. You have to be aware of your employee rights in Indiana so that you can determine if you are a victim of wrongful termination and attempt to recoup your losses. An attorney well-versed in employment law may be able to assist you if you feel you have been wrongfully terminated.
Source: Newton Citizen, “Mansfield to pay former clerk for wrongful dismissal,” Alice Queen, April 11, 2014
