worked at a midsize logistics company in jacksonville for 2.5 years. solid reviews. reported my manager to HR on apr 14 for inappropriate comments and pressure. apr 21 i was called in and told i was being terminated for "performance issues." they had nothing specific. i'm 47 and the only woman on the operations floor.
HR said i'm at-will and fl is a right-to-work state. but isn't this textbook retaliation?
1 week between protected complaint and termination is textbook temporal proximity. file an EEOC charge — you have 300 days. you can also file with FL Commission on Human Relations.
Title VII protects from retaliation for reporting discrimination/harassment. "right-to-work" is about union membership, not at-will. the at-will doctrine has explicit exceptions for retaliation.
document the timeline. screenshot the HR complaint, the emails, the dates. memory degrades fast. write down every conversation you remember.
find a contingency employment lawyer. retaliation claims often settle for 6-18 months of pay because employers don't want them litigated. EEOC mediation is also free and often productive.
The framework is consistent across states for federal retaliation claims under Title VII: protected activity (your complaint), adverse employment action (termination), causal connection (1-week temporal proximity is strong evidence). Burden then shifts to employer to articulate a non-retaliatory reason, and you respond by showing pretext.
Florida adds the FCRA which provides parallel protections. Sex/age discrimination angles strengthen the case substantially. The 300-day EEOC clock is running — file in the next 30 days even while you're collecting evidence. Informational only.