Main office: Marblehead, MA • Representing employees in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
What Is Wrongful Termination?
Massachusetts and New Hampshire are at-will employment states, which means employers can generally end employment without giving a reason. But at-will doesn’t mean unlimited. Employers cannot terminate employees for illegal reasons, and there are more of those than most people realize.
You may have a wrongful termination claim if you were fired for any of the following reasons:
- Discrimination based on a protected characteristic: age (40+), disability, gender, race, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or religion
- Retaliation for filing a discrimination or harassment complaint with your employer, the MCAD, or the EEOC
- Retaliation for reporting illegal employer conduct (whistleblowing) under state or federal law
- Interference with or retaliation for taking FMLA leave or requesting a disability accommodation
- Retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim
- Violation of an express employment contract, offer letter, or implied contractual obligation
- Violation of public policy, for example, firing an employee for serving on a jury or reporting a workplace safety violation
If any of these circumstances apply to your termination, or if the stated reason simply doesn’t match your record, Whitney Law Group can evaluate your situation and tell you candidly what you have and what it’s worth.
Why Whitney Law Group for Wrongful Termination
Defense-side insight
Mark Whitney spent more than 30 years advising major employers on employment disputes, which means he knows exactly how companies build termination documentation, what arguments their counsel will make, and where weaknesses appear in a seemingly well-documented firing. That experience now works for employees.
Massachusetts and New Hampshire covered
The firm handles wrongful termination claims under Massachusetts Chapter 151B, the Massachusetts Wage Act, New Hampshire RSA 354-A, RSA 275-E, and all applicable federal statutes. Critical deadlines differ by state, Massachusetts requires MCAD filings within 300 days; New Hampshire requires NHCHR filings within 180 days.
Marblehead and North Shore
Whitney Law Group’s main office is at 11 State Street in Marblehead. We serve employees throughout Essex County, Rockingham County, and across Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
What We Handle - Wrongful Termination
- Case evaluation: candid assessment of whether your termination is actionable and what it is realistically worth
- Discrimination-based termination claims filed with the MCAD or NHCHR and in state and federal courts
- Retaliation claims: including termination following discrimination complaints, protected leave, wage complaints, or whistleblower activity
- For-cause termination disputes where the employer’s stated reason is pretextual or factually false
- RIF and restructuring analysis: identifying discriminatory or retaliatory patterns hidden in group layoffs
- Severance negotiation using the leverage created by a potential wrongful termination claim
- Litigation in Massachusetts Superior Court, NH Superior Court, and federal district courts
Frequently Asked Questions - Wrongful Termination
Q: Massachusetts is at-will. Does that mean I can’t sue for wrongful termination?
No. At-will means your employer doesn’t need a stated reason to fire you in normal circumstances, it doesn’t give them the right to fire you for an illegal reason. Massachusetts Chapter 151B and federal law prohibit discriminatory and retaliatory terminations regardless of at-will status. New Hampshire law provides similar protections. When an employer invokes at-will to close down the conversation, that’s often a signal worth examining more carefully.
Q: What is the filing deadline for a wrongful termination claim in Massachusetts?
If the wrongful termination was based on discrimination or retaliation, you must file a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) within 300 days of the termination, not the date you realize it may have been wrongful. In New Hampshire, the NH Commission for Human Rights (NHCHR) deadline is 180 days. Missing either deadline can permanently eliminate your claim. Whitney Law Group strongly recommends calling the same day you are terminated, before making any decisions about severance or next steps
Q: I was let go in a ‘reduction in force.’ Can I still have a wrongful termination claim?
Yes. RIFs are a common vehicle for disguising discriminatory or retaliatory terminations. Key questions: Were you the only person, or disproportionately represented, among a protected group? Were younger, healthier, or otherwise different-demographic employees retained? Did you recently file a complaint, take leave, or raise a concern? Did the company subsequently fill your role? Whitney Law Group analyzes RIF terminations with close attention to these patterns.
Schedule a consulation in Marblehead, MA
Don’t navigate workplace disputes alone. Contact Whitney Law Group’s Portsmouth employment lawyers for a confidential consultation about your non-compete rights, options, and next steps.
Serving Marblehead, MA and the North Shore
Whitney Law Group’s main office is at 11 State Street in Marblehead, MA, the firm’s home since its founding in 2017. We serve clients throughout Essex County and the North Shore, including Swampscott, Salem, Beverly, Peabody, Danvers, Gloucester, Newburyport, and Marblehead. Virtual consultations available statewide.
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