If you believe your Baltimore employer has wrongfully terminated you, you must use evidence to support your claim and prove discrimination or retaliation to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR). A Baltimore wrongful termination lawyer can assess your situation and help you create a strong case.
There are two types of evidence you may use to prove wrongful termination: direct evidence and circumstantial evidence. Direct evidence may include an email from your employer that spells out why they’re firing you or a testimony from a reliable witness.
Although direct evidence is more effective, it’s difficult to come by. You’ll likely have to rely on circumstantial evidence to support your case, which involves connecting the dots as to why your employer may have wrongfully terminated you. The goal is to spell out a clear argument and get the EEOC or MCCR to see your side of the story.
Policy Violation
If your employer violated their own company policy when firing you, then you have direct evidence for wrongful termination. You can use the employee handbook as evidence in your case and try to get your job back. If you’re able to get your job back after filing a claim, the law will also protect you from retaliation by your employer.
Witness Statements
Witness statements can be helpful pieces of evidence in wrongful termination claims. If someone else in your company knows that your employer wrongfully terminated you, they can testify on your behalf. If you have more than one witness statement, your claim will be even stronger.
Exposing your employer for their discriminatory actions can get you the remedy you deserve and may also result in your boss facing disciplinary action.
Timing of Events
You can use the timing of events as evidence to support your wrongful termination claim. The timing of events serves as circumstantial evidence in your claim. For example, if you received an unwarranted complaint and were fired shortly after, you can use the complaint and the timing of your termination to prove that your termination was wrongful.
The EEOC or the MCCR investigators will assess the details of your case and use their discretion to assess the circumstantial evidence you provide. They will determine whether there’s probable cause to suspect wrongful termination and deliver a remedy based on their findings.
Patterns of Behavior
Patterns of behavior are another form of circumstantial evidence. If your employer, for instance, mistreats all employees of one race and favors all employees of another race, then it might be proof of racial discrimination. If you’re a member of the mistreated race based on your employer’s patterns of behavior and you’re terminated without reason, then your termination could be wrongful.
You should never hesitate to file a wrongful termination claim if you feel that you’ve been wronged. An experienced attorney can help you gather the evidence necessary to prove your case and hold your employer accountable for their actions.
