Jeremy Kaplan
Wrongful dismissal is a messy topic. It’s never that easy to know whether you’ve been dismissed wrongfully or not. You’ll normally have a gut feeling about this sort of thing, but the law is difficult to interpret sometimes. You’re going to have to do some research and find out how to solve this problem. We’re going to take a brief look at the steps that you might want to follow if you feel you’ve been wrongfully dismissed by your employer.
The first you want to do after being released is to question the method that was used. How were you let go? Did they simply get rid of you on the spot? Was there any prior warning before you were given the boot? In some cases, this might even be passable. Depending on how long you were working at the company, different laws apply. However, if you feel like you’ve been pushed out without even being given a chance to improve, you might have a case. The same goes for a racial or homophobic reason, for example. Think back and see if anything like that could have factored into the overall decision.
The next thing you want to do is check your contract. Dig it out from whenever you started employment there, and read through the terms and conditions. You might find that they haven’t acted in the way they confirmed they would. It might even be as simple as not giving you the right amount of notice or paid holiday. Don’t just scan read; do a thorough analysis and double check everything.
Let’s say you’ve looked through the documents and read the tips online, and now you’ve come to a decision. If you still believe that you were wrongfully dismissed by your employer, it’s time to take action. You’re going to need a wrongful dismissal lawyer in order to do this. They’ll be able to analyse your claim and tell you whether you’ve got a case. If you’re successful in overturning the decision, you might be able to claim compensation, or you might even get your job back (if you want it)! Your lawyer will be able to help you every step of the way with this, so don’t panic.
Remember; if you’re given a chance to return to your employer, you’ll need to think very carefully. Not only will the atmosphere be a bit tenser around the office, but your trust in them will be shattered. If the option is presented to you that you can return, think long and hard about whether the job is worth it. It might be best to learn from experience, take the compensation and go down a new path.
If you aren’t successful in claiming wrongful dismissal, I feel for you. Sometimes it just isn’t meant to be, and you should take this opportunity to seek a new path and a new adventure. Being dismissed isn’t the end of the world; it’s a sign that things need to change. The important thing is to explore all avenues of wrongful dismissal before you move on.
