When a job ends
When the reason you were given doesn’t add up
Not every firing is unlawful, and we tell you honestly which side of the line yours falls on.
A job can end for a reason the law doesn’t allow: your race, age, sex or disability, a pregnancy, a medical leave, a complaint you made, or a promise your employer put in writing. We look at what you were told, what changed beforehand, and who else was treated differently.
A reason that shifts from week to week, a firing days after you spoke up, or a write-up that appears after years of good reviews are the details we ask about first.
What we ask about
You were told to resign or be fired
It happened soon after a complaint, injury or leave
The person who replaced you is different from you in a way that matters
You were handed a severance paper and a deadline
Bring what you have, skip what you don’t
Anything in writing
Your offer letter, handbook pages, the termination notice, and every email or text about it.
A short timeline
When you started, when things changed, and the dates of the conversations that stand out.
Your last pay records
A few recent stubs, plus anything showing a raise, bonus or good review.
What people ask after losing a job
Can an employer fire me for any reason at all?
Not any reason. Some endings are lawful even if they feel unfair, and some break the law. Sorting one from the other is what the first conversation is for.
I was offered severance. Should I sign?
Don’t sign yet, and don’t let a deadline in the paper rush you. A lawyer can read it with you and tell you what you’d be giving up.
Should I resign before they fire me?
Talk to us first. How a job ends can affect what you can claim afterward.
How quickly do I need to act?
Deadlines can be short, in some cases a few months. Ask early so a lawyer can check the calendar before anything else.
Fired? Start with the short check.
Five questions, three minutes, and a person reads your answers.