Can You Be Fired for No Reason in Kentucky?

While Kentucky is an “at-will” employment state, some protections are in place for workers. Reach out to a seasoned employment law attorney to better understand your rights when you have been fired. 

State and federal laws are intended to protect workers from unfair and discriminatory treatment. Therefore, employers who have violated these statutes can be held financially and legally accountable. 

When a business owner or supervisor fires an employee in violation of the law, the worker may have a valid legal claim. For example, anti-discrimination laws are in place to prevent workers from being fired because of their membership in a protected class.

Anti-Discrimination Statutes

Businesses are legally prohibited from treating employees unfairly because of certain protected characteristics. In Kentucky, these are the following: 

• Race or color
• Sex or sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Religion
• Age (over 40)
• Pregnancy
• Disability status
• National origin 

If you believe that you lost your job in Kentucky because of one of these identity markers, do not wait. Can you be fired for no reason in Kentucky? Not if your termination violates federal anti-discrimination regulations. 

No worker deserves to be treated unfairly or badly because of their identity. Fortunately, the accomplished team at Morgan and Morgan has experience holding employers who engage in discriminatory practices accountable. Let our employment law attorneys fight to recover the compensation that you deserve and get justice for you.

Contract Considerations

Employers may also face valid claims of wrongful termination if they violate a legal contract. 

For instance, suppose that you signed a contract of employment. In this case, your employer is required to honor those terms. Firing you in violation of your contract may result in a successful wrongful termination claim for damages.  

Sometimes, employers are required to honor verbal or “implied” contracts. When a supervisor breaks a verbal promise regarding employment, you may be able to hold them accountable.  

Consider the following example. You signed a contract that guarantees you six months of employment on the condition that you fulfill certain job functions. 

If you fulfill your duties and the employer fires you before six months have passed, they may be legally liable. A knowledgeable Morgan & Morgan attorney will review your situation and help you file a breach of contract claim. 

Do not allow employers to be unaccountable for their wrongful actions. You may be entitled to significant compensation to help you move forward.

Retaliation for Refusal to Act Illegally

Employers are prohibited from firing workers for failing to perform illegal actions. Workers cannot be asked to ignore safety regulations or engage in other illegal activities. 

Employees are also not required to submit to illegal scheduling practices. For instance, suppose your supervisor requests that you work a double shift in violation of safety standards for your industry.  

In this case, you may refuse without fear of retaliation. If your supervisor retaliates in 

any way, including termination, you may have a valid legal claim against them.

Violating Internal Termination Policies

When you are wondering, “Can you be fired for no reason in Kentucky?” it is crucial to consider companies’ internal termination policies. In some cases, businesses are required to follow their own internal written disciplinary procedures. These are usually detailed in the company’s employee handbook. 

For example, imagine that an internal policy states that employees get an initial warning for arriving late before being fired. If a supervisor fires an employee after only one instance of being late, they have violated the company’s internal policy.

Speaking with an attorney will help you to better understand your legal options in the aftermath of termination against company policy.

If you pursue a wrongful termination claim and are successful, you may receive significant financial compensation. The term for these compensatory payments to wrongful termination victims is “damages.” 

The purpose of damages in a tort claim is to make the victim whole. Victims who have been unfairly fired often experience many unforeseen costs and losses. 

To successfully recover damages, victims must prove that their losses were the result of the wrongful termination. A skilled employment law attorney will help you build a powerful case to recover the financial compensation that you are rightfully owed. 

Successful wrongful termination claims often result in the following types of damages:

Lost Income and Missed Earnings

When you have been unfairly fired, you will lose income you would have otherwise earned. This may also include additional compensation, such as overtime, benefits, and other perks. 

But the amount that you can recover in lost wages could be reduced by the money you earned after your firing. For instance, suppose that you are rehired after being wrongfully terminated. This may reduce the amount of lost wages that you can claim. 

Plaintiffs in these claims should consider the value of their healthcare benefits and overtime wage rates in addition to regular pay. The legal team at Morgan and Morgan will help you calculate the lost earnings that resulted from your firing.

Emotional Harm

Sometimes, victims of wrongful firings may successfully recover non-economic 

damages. This type of financial compensation is meant to make up for the psychological and emotional damage caused by the unfair termination. 

In some cases, employees are wrongfully fired for reporting discriminatory practices or harassment. If the plaintiff was terminated because they experienced a hostile work environment, it is understandable that they will have suffered emotional damage.  

If you have sustained psychological damage following a wrongful termination, you could be owed monetary compensation for the following types of harm: 

• Emotional anguish
• Depression or anxiety
• Embarrassment
• Loss of enjoyment of life 

This type of compensation can be very difficult to calculate in wrongful termination cases. How much are victims owed for the intangible harm caused when they are unfairly fired? One of the skilled tort attorneys at Morgan & Morgan will help you pursue the total value of your case.

Every state has different laws that determine the timeline for employment discrimination cases. For this reason, it is vital to consult with an employment law attorney who understands the relevant laws and statutes in Kentucky.  

The legal timeline for filing a wrongful termination case is known as the “statute of limitations.” Claimants who fail to file before the statute of limitations has expired will be unable to recover financial repayment. 

In the state of Kentucky, employees must act swiftly. Workers are required to file a claim within 180 days following the incident of discrimination or wrongful termination.  

Do not let this happen to you. Hire the knowledgeable team at the firm of Morgan and Morgan. We will strive to meet all of the legal deadlines in your case. Our skilled employment law attorneys will draft and file all of the required documents for your legal claim.

After you have been wrongfully terminated, it is normal to worry about your financial condition. Losing a job can result in lost income and wages. 

For this reason, most employment discrimination victims are concerned about the costs of legal services. Fortunately, reputable tort lawyers tend to operate on a contingency fee structure. 

When you hire a Morgan and Morgan attorney, we will agree to provide services for a specific portion of the financial recovery from your case. You will not pay a penny in attorneys’ fees unless your case is successfully tried or settled. 

At Morgan & Morgan, we believe that all wrongful termination victims should be able to secure competent legal representation. That is why our lawyers do not receive anything unless we get the money that you rightfully deserve.

In the days after you have been wrongfully fired, you may be unsure about what to do. It is critical to speak with an attorney during this time. The sooner you begin a legal claim, the sooner you may recover compensation.

Also, it is important to do the following: 

• Secure a copy of your employment contract
• Ask your employer the rationale for your termination
• Uphold your end of all verbal or written agreements
• Promptly return any company property
• Record any instances of employer intimidation

If you have questions about appropriate behavior in the wake of wrongful termination, speak with a lawyer. Morgan and Morgan’s Kentucky attorneys have years of experience representing the victims of unfair treatment, discrimination, and wrongful termination.

Losing your job is devastating. This is especially true when your firing was the result of your employer’s illegal actions.  

You should not be stuck with the costs and losses following your wrongful termination. Our accomplished legal experts will fight diligently to secure the financial repayment to which you are rightfully entitled. 

Since our firm’s founding in 1989, we have successfully negotiated or won more than a million cases. When you hire Morgan and Morgan, the fee is free unless we secure a favorable outcome for you. 

To schedule a no-obligation case evaluation, complete our online contact form. Our compassionate staff will gladly arrange a no-cost initial meeting to discuss the facts of your case. The attorneys at Morgan & Morgan are on your side.