What Qualifies as Wrongful Termination?

Wrongful termination occurs when an employer fires an employee for an illegal reason.

Illegal reasons include: discrimination based on race, sex, age (40+), disability, religion, national origin, or pregnancy; retaliation for reporting discrimination, safety violations, or fraud (whistleblowing); violation of an employment contract; firing someone for taking FMLA leave; and firing someone for jury duty, military service, or voting.

Most firings — even unfair ones — are legal in at-will employment states. The firing must violate a specific law or contract..