Question

2. When Tanana Valley Medical Surgical Group Inc. hired James Eales as a physician’s assistant, it promised him that as long as he did his job, he could stay there until retirement age. Six years later, the Medical Surgical Group suffered financial losses and discharges Eales as a cost-saving measure. Eales sued for wrongful termination. The Medical Surgical Group claimed that he was an “at-will” employee. What result and why?

Answer 1

When one has been fired, One's first impulse may be to try to figure out some way to sue employer for wrongful termination. But not every firing is illegal. Without any of protections, an employee may be terminated on the spot for any non-discriminatory reason. However, if employee suspect that he was fired based on discrimination or retaliation, he may be able to sue for wrongful termination:

1.Discrimination. Both public and private employers are prohibited from discriminating based on race, gender, religion, and national origin

2.Retaliation. An employer also cannot fire an employee from engaging in a protected activity. These activities include whistleblowing, making complaints of discrimination, and forming a union. Retaliating against an employee for engaging in one of these activities is prohibited

If employee suspect employer let him go based on one of these reasons, he should contact an employment attorney to discuss options

In case of James Eales, company didnt terminate him on basis of descrimination or retaliation. The main reason is cost saving.