Legal Definitions - wrongful-discharge action

A wrongful-discharge action is a legal case filed by a former employee against their former employer. The lawsuit claims that the employee's termination was either illegal or violated a contract. This type of lawsuit is also known as a wrongful-termination action.

• An employee is fired after reporting sexual harassment by their supervisor. The employee files a wrongful-discharge action, claiming that their termination was illegal retaliation for reporting the harassment.
• A contract employee is let go before the end of their contract without any valid reason. The employee files a wrongful-discharge action, claiming that their termination violated the terms of their contract.

These examples illustrate how a former employee can file a wrongful-discharge action against their former employer. In the first example, the employee claims that their termination was illegal retaliation for reporting sexual harassment. In the second example, the employee claims that their termination violated the terms of their contract. In both cases, the former employee is seeking legal recourse for what they believe was an unjust termination.