One of the easiest ways to find yourself defending a wrongful discharge lawsuit is to fire an employee under circumstances that violate a fair employment law. Numerous federal, state, and local laws restrict an employer’s right to fire an employee for discriminatory reasons.

Many fair employment laws provide exemptions for employers having some minimum number of employees. However, courts can effectively extend the law to you under the "public policy" theory and you can still be sued for inappropriate firing.

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