The Myth of "At-Will" Employment in Maryland
Employers love to cite "at-will" employment as a shield, but it has significant, legally enforceable limits. You cannot be fired for an illegal reason. In Maryland, wrongful termination occurs when an employer violates state or federal statutes, or when a discharge violates a clear mandate of public policy.
At Fortis Employment Law, we don’t look for excuses; we look for the truth. We represent professionals who have been pushed out for reporting illegal activity, seeking medical leave, or refusing to participate in workplace misconduct. We understand that a "business decision" is often just a label for an unlawful act.
In Maryland, the "at-will" doctrine allows for termination for any reason, but not for an illegal one. The Maryland Court of Appeals established a critical exception in Adler v. American Standard Corp., allowing for wrongful discharge claims when a termination violates a "clear mandate of public policy," such as firing an employee for refusing to perform an illegal act or for exercising a specific legal right.
Federal statutory protections, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the ADEA, further prohibit discharge based on protected characteristics or in retaliation for protected activity. We navigate the intersection of these state common law claims and federal statutes in both the Maryland Circuit Courts and the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to ensure every illegal motive is addressed.
Building a Case for Illegal Discharge
We are a litigation firm, not a settlement mill. When we take a wrongful termination case, we investigate the real reason you were fired—not the one written in your termination letter. We focus on high-stakes cases where the damages are significant and the employer’s conduct was clearly unlawful.
Our Wrongful Termination Attorneys
Attorney
Nathan Holliman
Nathan Holliman is an attorney at Fortis Employment Law specializing in high-stakes employment disputes. A Peggy Browning Fellow with an elite background in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Nathan leverages sophisticated negotiation strategies to secure leverage and results for recently terminated Maryland professionals.
FAQs
Is wrongful termination hard to prove?
Yes, because employers rarely admit to illegal motives. We build these cases by dismantling "pretextual" justifications—the shifting stories and false performance narratives employers use to hide their true reasons for a discharge.
How long do I have to file a wrongful termination claim in Maryland?
Deadlines are critical and vary wildly depending on the type of claim. While some general civil lawsuits in Maryland have a three-year statute of limitations, administrative claims for discrimination often must be filed with the EEOC or MCCR within 300 days (and for some counties, like Montgomery County, even sooner). Missing these deadlines is often a permanent bar to recovery.
Does "at-will employment" mean my employer can fire me for any reason?
In Maryland, "at-will" means an employer can generally terminate you for any reason—or no reason at all. However, "at-will" is not a license to break the law. If your termination was based on discrimination, retaliation for a protected activity, or a violation of a clear mandate of Maryland public policy, it may be an illegal firing.