Tennessee Wrongful Termination Legal Questions

As a general rule, an employee can be terminated even though the employer does not follow the procedure set forth in the employee handbook. Tennessee has the employment a will doctrine which states that employment may be terminated at any time by the employer without cause. In order for the employee manual or handbook to constitute a "contract"  between employee and employer it must contain specific language showing the employer's intent to be bound by the handbook's provisions. In order to be considered part of an "employment contract", the language in employee manual or handbook must be phrased in binding terms, interpreted in the context of the entire handbook, and read in conjunction with any other relevant material, such as an employment application. Since very seldom is the employee manual considered to be an "employment contract", then the employer can choose to follow the termination procedure or not.       ... Read More

Yes. Tennessee is an employment-at-will state where you can be terminated for good reason, bad reason or no reason at all.  It is possible that your asthma might be a disability under the Americans With Disabilites Act.  If so, the employer would violate the law if it terminated you because of your asthma.  However, if the employer terminated for something else such as leaving the workplace during schedule hours, then there maybe no violation.  If you want to pursue this matter, schedule a consultation with an experienced attorney.... Read More

I recommend that you file for unemployment benefits.  It does not appear that you engaged in any misconduct therefore you should get your benefits.  Based on these facts, you would not have a claim for wrongful termination.  However, if there are other facts that you believe contributed to your termination, then you may want to discuss the termination with an employment attorney.... Read More