In: Accounting
Suppose an employee was terminated by their employer for failing to adhere to the company's "Don't be a hero" policies or chasing after a suspected thief instead of calling authorities as instructed by their employer. What legal recourse does the employee have?
In this case the employee can seek legal remedies for his employment claims. Under the federal laws the terminated employee can file a complaint with the EEOC i.e. the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If the provision of "Don't be a hero" policies is a violation of the state anti-discrimination laws then the employee can file charges with the state or the local equivalent agency.
In this case the employee has done nothing wrong and termination on the basis of not adhering to the company's "Don't be a hero" policies or chasing after a suspected thief instead of calling authorities as instructed by their employer will not be considered proper and valid grounds for termination by the relevant authorities. As such the terminated employee can seek for reinstatement, injunctive relief and punitive damages. The employer, if found guilty of terminating the employee without any valid grounds, will also be asked to reimburse the employee the attorney fees that he had paid to take legal action against the employer.