If the allegations involve discrimination or retaliation, employees should file a wrongful termination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) within 180 days of termination.
Although employers may legally let employees go from their jobs for no reason (when employment is “at will”), it is against federal and state laws to fire someone because of their race, ethnicity, country of origin, gender or sexual orientation, age and/or disability.
What is the statute of limitations for filing a wrongful termination lawsuit in Ohio? Ohio employees do not have much time to file a wrongful termination lawsuit. The state's statute of limitations for wrongful termination cases is 90 days from the date of your dismissal.
State of Ohio Claims State law claims the wrongful discharge brought pursuant to Ohio Revised Code §4112.99 also have a full range of damages including economic damages, emotional distress damages, and punitive damages.
Ohio, as an “at-will” employment state, permits an employer, absent an employment contract to the contrary, to terminate an employee for no reason or any reason at all, so long as the reason does not violate Ohio or federal law.
While multimillion awards are possible, it is crucial to keep in mind that federal laws limit the amount of punitive and compensatory damages awarded in cases involving wrongful termination. They cannot exceed $50,000 – $300,000, depending on the number of employees working for the employer's business.
Valid reasons may include employee misconduct, poor performance, redundancy, or closure of the establishment. If an employer terminates an employee without just cause, the employee may be able to challenge the termination in court and seek reinstatement or compensation.
In law, wrongful dismissal, also called wrongful termination or wrongful discharge, is a situation in which an employee's contract of employment has been terminated by the employer, where the termination breaches one or more terms of the contract of employment, or a statute provision or rule in employment law.