The "get a lawyer" advice gets tossed around workplace.stackexchange WAY TOO OFTEN and basically snubs discussion.
Getting a lawyer, at a minimum, means forking over a few hundred dollars just for some advice. Going beyond that we're talking hundreds to thousands more for the lawyer to merely write a letter. Going further beyond that, it then becomes the plantiff's "life work" to deal with the court system while paying many thousands to the lawyer for, AT BEST, an iffy outcome after months of drudgery, and yes, then face being effectively blacklisted in the local industry.
That said, there are some good reasons for people to get a lawyer but getting fired with a dirty trick (assuming the dubious story is even true) is rarely one of them.
> Getting a lawyer, at a minimum, means forking over a few hundred dollars just for some advice. Going beyond that we're talking hundreds to thousands more for the lawyer to merely write a letter.
This has not been my experience at all.
A few years ago I had a dispute over a commercial lease agreement with my landlord. I did all the research I could and wrote a short summary of my position on the matter, along with a few relevant citations. I made an appointment with an attorney and asked that she write a lease addendum that terminated the lease immediately and held harmless both parties, which included my reasoning for doing so.
I paid her $120 for her time to write the letter, and it was invaluable as leverage in negotiating with my landlord - there's a big difference between saying "I'm gonna sue!" and bringing a document to the meeting prepared by your attorney to resolve the disagreement.
Hiring an attorney doesn't have to cost a fortune - you just have to take steps to minimize the time they have to spend on your case.
Getting a lawyer, at a minimum, means forking over a few hundred dollars just for some advice. Going beyond that we're talking hundreds to thousands more for the lawyer to merely write a letter. Going further beyond that, it then becomes the plantiff's "life work" to deal with the court system while paying many thousands to the lawyer for, AT BEST, an iffy outcome after months of drudgery, and yes, then face being effectively blacklisted in the local industry.
That said, there are some good reasons for people to get a lawyer but getting fired with a dirty trick (assuming the dubious story is even true) is rarely one of them.