If you believe you lost your job for any of these reasons, you need to contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or, in the case of union activities, the National Labor Relations Board as quickly as possible to preserve your rights. A whistle blower, an individual who reports wrong doing on the employer s part, does have some job protection under the law. The federal Whistle Blowers Protection Act of 1989, Fair Labor Standards Act and Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 also offer a degree of protection for employees who report violations of certain statutes. Employees cannot claim wrongful termination because they refused to take a drug test. In 1991, the Mississippi Legislature enacted a measure which allows employers to use an employee s refusal to take a drug test, either during an application or after employment, as a basis for not hiring or discharging an employee.
Federal law sides with employees when a company closes down or moves.
Employers with 100 or more employees must give at least 60 days notice of a long layoff or plant closing. Failure to do so gives the displaced employees grounds for suit under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification legislation. Employers and employees both have rights in the workplace. The employer must fulfill his or her part of the job agreement through salary, benefits and a safe work environment, and the worker must perform the job as described and assigned. For the protection of both the employer and employee, knowing these rights can prevent wrongful terminations and prolonged legal action.