Can I file a lawsuit against my employer for breaching our contract?
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Can I file a lawsuit against my employer for breaching our contract?
I am a college student doing a summer internship, which often means I am going to be taken advantage of by my employer. I started an internship where a contract was signed with no specific end date so either party was free to
terminate their position. In this contract, I was told I would work between 20-
25 hours a week. However, he forced me to cut down my hours to below 20. I
decided that technically he could terminate that contract and start a new one
with my new hours since the first didn’t have an end date. However, he did not. He also missed pay periods that were included in my contract. Now, I am randomly being fired. New Link Destination
make matters worse, I am not even sure that I’m being properly employed. I didn’t have to give my social security, which I had in the past for internships and I get paid through some digital payment network. Since I am being terminated unfairly, I just thought perhaps I should be compensated the hours that I should have been working based on the contract.
Asked on July 27, 2018 under Employment Labor Law, Connecticut
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
Unfortunately, an employment "contract" with no set or defined end date doesn't prevent the employer from changing or terminating it at will, at any time, for any reason. In a very real sense, it is not an enforceable contract and does not give you any enforceable rights to a job, to hours, to a certain amount of pay, etc. You cannot sue for compensation based on this document.
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