Wrongful Termination

Definition

Legal claim by employees who were fired illegally, the phrase that suddenly makes HR departments extremely cautious about documentation.

Example Usage

She filed a wrongful termination suit after being fired the day after announcing her pregnancy.

Origin

Employment law from 1960s civil rights era

Fun Fact

Companies now spend thousands on documentation to prevent wrongful termination suits, when they could just not illegally terminate people.

Source: Employment Law Standards

Related Terms

Beginner

compensate

To provide payment, benefits, or other consideration in exchange for services rendered or losses incurred—the art of making someone feel better about their suffering through the universal language of money.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

Poaching

When another company hires your good employees away. Considered unethical unless your company does it.

👥 Human Resources

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Counteroffering

When your current employer suddenly matches or exceeds a job offer you've accepted elsewhere. It's the corporate equivalent of 'wait, don't leave, I do love you.'

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

Skill Gap

The distance between what employees can actually do and what the company wishes they could do, which is somehow always the employee's problem to solve. The gap is usually bridged by a mandatory LinkedIn Learning course and sheer willpower.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

e-learning

Digital training delivered through computers or devices instead of in-person instruction. Allows employees to complete mandatory compliance training while simultaneously answering emails and questioning their life choices.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

whistleblower protection

Legal safeguards preventing retaliation against employees who report illegal or unethical company behavior. It's supposed to encourage speaking up, though in practice it often just ensures your career dies more slowly.

👥 Human Resources

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