Wrongful Termination Lawyers | NYC, New York

Yes. Even if you’re employed “at will,” you still have the legal right to sue for wrongful termination if your firing violated federal, state, or New York City employment laws.

Most employees in New York are considered at-will, meaning your employer can terminate your job at any time, for almost any reason—or for no reason at all. However, this does not give your employer the right to fire you for an illegal reason. If you were terminated due to discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, pregnancy, or another protected category, or if you were fired in retaliation for reporting unlawful conduct (such as sexual harassment or wage violations), you may have grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit.

A skilled NYC wrongful termination attorney can help you determine whether your firing was unlawful. If your termination was rooted in discriminatory hostility, racial or sexual bias, retaliation, or a toxic work culture, consulting with a wrongful termination lawyer in New York City is a critical first step toward protecting your rights.

At Tuckner, Sipser, Weinstock & Sipser, our New York wrongful termination attorneys have decades of experience representing employees who were illegally fired. We can assess your situation and help you pursue compensation and justice for an unlawful termination.

Yes—but if you’re fired in violation of your employment contract, your employer may be legally required to compensate you for breach of contract. This situation can also overlap with a claim for wrongful termination, depending on the circumstances.

Many employees mistakenly believe they have a binding employment contract when, in reality, they’ve only received an offer letter. While an offer letter may outline basic terms of employment, it typically does not provide the legal protections of a formal employment agreement. True employment contracts are relatively rare and usually reserved for high-level or executive positions.

If you do have a signed, enforceable contract that guarantees employment for a specific term or defines termination conditions—such as requiring specific benchmarks or just cause for firing—then your employer is obligated to honor those terms. If you’re let go for a reason not permitted under the contract, that termination may be deemed wrongful and actionable.

A wrongful termination attorney in New York can review your contract and evaluate whether your firing constitutes a breach of contract or an unlawful termination under New York law. At Tuckner, Sipser, Weinstock & Sipser, our wrongful termination lawyers in NY routinely represent employees who were wrongfully terminated despite having written agreements outlining job security.

If you’ve been terminated and suspect your employer violated your contract—or used a pretext to sidestep its obligations—contact a wrongful termination lawyer NY employees trust to understand their rights and legal remedies.

If you’re one of the few private-sector workers—roughly 6.3%—still protected by a union collective bargaining agreement (CBA), your employer cannot simply fire you at will. Union employees typically enjoy stronger job protections, and employers must follow the specific disciplinary procedures outlined in the contract, including what’s known as progressive discipline.

That means your employer must have a valid reason for termination and must often provide warnings, performance reviews, or other corrective steps before proceeding with a firing. If you believe you’ve been wrongfully terminated or discriminated against in violation of your CBA, your union can file a grievance on your behalf, request a formal hearing, or push the case into arbitration.

However, having union protection doesn’t automatically shield you from wrongful termination. Discrimination, retaliation, or breach of contract claims may still arise—and that’s where a New York wrongful termination lawyer can help. While your union may advocate on your behalf, a wrongful termination attorney in NY can advise you on whether additional legal action outside the union process is appropriate.

If you suspect your firing involved unlawful discrimination or retaliation, report your concerns to your union representative, shop steward, or delegate immediately in writing. Then consult with an experienced NYC wrongful termination attorney to fully protect your rights and evaluate potential legal claims beyond your collective bargaining process.

No—firing an employee in retaliation for reporting workplace misconduct or for being pregnant is illegal under both federal and New York law. If your employer demotes you, denies you a promotion, cuts your hours, or terminates you after you report discrimination, harassment, or other violations, you may have a strong claim for retaliation and wrongful termination.

For example, if you notify your employer that you’re pregnant, or you report experiencing or witnessing racist treatment or sexual harassment, your employer is legally obligated to take those complaints seriously. If instead, the company ignores your concerns, fails to investigate, or worsens your working conditions in response, that’s unlawful retaliation—and it can form the basis of a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Employees are also protected from retaliation for taking other legally protected actions, including:

• Taking pregnancy leave, FMLA leave, or disability-related time off

• Participating in a government investigation into workplace practices

• Reporting wage theft or labor law violations

• Taking time off to serve on a jury or to vote

• Serving in the military

If you believe you were fired or mistreated after engaging in any of these protected activities, it’s important to speak with a wrongful termination attorney in New York right away. At Tuckner, Sipser, Weinstock & Sipser, our NYC wrongful termination lawyers and New York pregnancy discrimination attorneys help clients take legal action when employers retaliate or discriminate based on pregnancy, race, sex, disability, or whistleblowing.

Don’t wait—contact a trusted wrongful termination lawyer NY employees rely on to protect your rights and hold your employer accountable.

Yes. Under New York City, New York State, and federal law, it is illegal for an employer to retaliate against an employee for engaging in protected activities—including reporting wrongful termination, filing an HR complaint, exposing discrimination, requesting reasonable accommodations for a disability or pregnancy, or participating in a workplace investigation.

Retaliation may include more than just firing—it can take the form of demotions, pay cuts, denial of promotions, schedule changes meant to punish, or the creation of a hostile work environment. When retaliation results in a firing, the situation may constitute both unlawful retaliation and wrongful termination.

If you suspect you’ve been retaliated against, it’s essential to consult with an experienced wrongful termination lawyer in NYC who understands the complexities of New York employment law. A skilled New York wrongful termination attorney can help you gather documentation, prove retaliatory motive, and pursue justice.

At Tuckner, Sipser, Weinstock & Sipser, our NYC wrongful termination lawyers are passionate about protecting employees’ rights. If you were punished or fired for speaking up, we’ll help you assert your rights under local and federal law.

Call today for a free consultation with a trusted wrongful termination attorney NY workers turn to when their livelihoods are on the line.

As a New York wrongful termination law firm, we are experienced in proving cases of wrongful termination.  In many cases, there may not be a “smoking gun” in terms of an employee being fired for a clearly illegal reason.  As an example, it would be rare for a boss to tell an employee that she was being fired because she was pregnant.

Instead, a full range of evidence must be considered.  Perhaps the woman was receiving outstanding reviews prior to becoming pregnant, and then her reviews became much worse after she announced her pregnancy.  A person of color may also have had outstanding reviews under one boss, but then negative reviews under a new boss who was known to make derogatory remarks against those who are not white.

As part of the litigation process, we often will want to interview other workers and subpoena records, such as all memos and emails relating to a person’s termination.  We will also want to depose (interview under oath) those involved in the termination process to try to uncover their motivations, as well as to elicit testimony about what they might have done or said.

In a jury trial for wrongful termination, we will also call company management and witnesses to testify.  Unlike a criminal trial (in which case an accused can refuse to testify), company managers and others must testify under oath.

And, unlike a criminal trial which requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt, in a civil trial for wrongful termination the standard of proof is only “more likely than not”.

Proving wrongful termination often requires a combination of evidence, such as performance reviews, witness statements, and documentation of discriminatory behavior. As NYC wrongful termination lawyers with decades of experience, we can uncovering hidden motivations and patterns of misconduct through thorough investigations and legal discovery. Our team will work diligently to establish that your termination was not only unfair but also illegal under New York City’s employment laws.

Don’t face this battle alone—schedule your free consultation with a New York wrongful termination attorney today to explore your options.

No. If you are an at-will employee, your employer can simply fire you without providing any reason. However, if you believe that the actual reason you are being fired is due to you being part of a legally-protected class (such as you are being fired because you are over 40 and the company wants to replace you with someone younger), then you may have a case for wrongful termination.

Pretextual wrongful termination occurs when a company makes an excuse for an illegal firing.

As an example, the company may claim that a woman was not performing well, when in fact the company fired the woman because she became pregnant and the company did not want to give her paid time off or thought that she might not return to the workplace after the baby was born.

Even if you’ve been wrongly or illegally terminated, an employer does not necessarily have to give you your job back, except in certain situations (such as if your part of a union and your job is covered under a collective bargaining agreement). Instead, a settlement or verdict for wrongful termination typically consists of monetary compensation.

While reinstatement may not always be an option, a New York wrongful termination lawyer can help you pursue the financial compensation you deserve. Damages may include lost wages, back pay, emotional distress, and, in some cases, punitive damages to hold your employer accountable for egregious misconduct. Our attorneys are experienced in negotiating favorable settlements and litigating cases in court to maximize your recovery.

Call now to speak with an NYC wrongful termination lawyer and take the first step toward justice.

If you’ve been wrongly or illegally terminated, your employer must pay for the full damages that you sustained, such as lost wages.  While this sounds fair, the actual damages are more difficult to determine.  Additionally, you will also be responsible for mitigating your damages (in other words, you must actively seek employment).

In most cases, when a person is subject to wrongful termination, that person will be unemployed for some amount of time.  The person may receive unemployment compensation; however, this may not make up for a person’s lost wages. They may also not be able to obtain a job with the same salary or benefits that they were making.  These and other facts will be considered in determining damages.

“Wrongful termination” by itself does not exist as a separate legal claim. Instead, wrongful termination under the law is always based upon a specifically-recognized illegal reason, such as termination because the person is a member of a particular class, such as being pregnant or a being of a certain race, or because of protected action taken by the person, such as reporting sexual harassment.

As a result, in addition to taking into account matters such as lost wages, a jury will also be able to make an award based upon the underlying nature of the wrongful termination (i.e. pregnancy or race discrimination).

Unless the termination is due to a legally-protected interest, such as one of the items listed above, it likely will not be “wrongful” under the law. The fact is, unless you are covered by a contract or collective bargaining agreement, your employer can fire you at any time, for any reason at all (or for no reason) except for those matters that are protected under the law.

As an example, suppose your car breaks down, you’re late for work for the first time and your employer fires you. While this may be “wrongful” from a moral standpoint, it is not wrong under the law unless the real reason is one of the reasons noted above.

Also, assume that you are also pregnant and this same event happens to you. If you know (and can credibly argue and ultimately prove) that your boss wanted to fire you because of your pregnancy, this would be considered “wrongful termination;” if your boss simply didn’t want workers showing up late, then the termination would not be wrongful (and thus not recoverable under the law). In other words,

Yes.  You can be fired when you’re pregnant, but you can’t be legally fired because you’re pregnant.