If you believe you have been discharged because of your involvement in such legitimate pursuits, you should consult your attorney to discuss possible legal action and report the circumstances of your discharge to the Attorney General, who also has jurisdiction to seek injunctive relief and penalties against your employer. The New York State Human Rights Law prohibits an employer from discharging an employee because of his or her race, religion, gender, place of national origin, age, marital status or disability. Violations of the Human Rights Law can give rise to a private lawsuit, but may also be reported to the New York State Division of Human Rights or the New York City Commission on Human Rights, both of which have jurisdiction to investigate complaints and enforce compliance. The Workers' Compensation Law prohibits an employer from discharging a worker because he has filed a Workers' Compensation or Disability Benefits claim or has testified before the Workers' Compensation Board. Complaints of such retaliatory discharge may be made to the Workers' Compensation Board.
Jury duty is an important obligation of all citizens.
No employer who is notified in advance of a jury duty summons may fire an employee because of that absence. Employees who are fired because of their absence from work to fulfill a jury duty obligation should contact the Attorney General for assistance. Unless you can assert one of the protections against discharge recited above, your employer can fire you for any reason, even an incorrect or unfair reason. He cannot, however, make any deductions from the wages and fringe benefits that you have earned because he believes that you have stolen or destroyed his property. I was fired for being out sick too much, but I really was sick.