A recent New Brunswick case has shone a light on the value of one’s reputation and the critical importance of protecting your reputation if unjustly terminated from your employment position.  Dr. John Dornan termination by New Brunswick’s Premier was right after working as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Health Network for only four months.  A patient had died while waiting for treatment in an emergency room in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and the Premier decided to unfairly blame Dr. Dornan for this and to terminate his employment as a result.

Dr. Dornan was awarded the full value of his five-year contract, however a significant component of the financial award also stemmed from damage to his reputation that was caused by this unjust dismissal.  Dr. John Dornan’s Termination caused the sudden destruction of his sterling reputation that was built up over a 35-year career, due to an issue that he had nothing to do with.  Having the patient’s death pinned on him and being terminated in this fashion caused serious damage to his reputation and the adjudicator in his case handsomely compensated him for this.

Unjust Dismissal and Reputation Damage: Should You Seek Legal Advice?

Serious damage like this to one’s reputation can be devastating when it comes to being able to find comparable employment elsewhere following such a termination.  If you or someone you know has faced unjust dismissal in a way that caused undue harm to your reputation, you should seek legal advice to better understand your legal rights.  We at Whitten & Lublin are happy to provide insight and advice into your specific circumstances.  If you are looking for employment lawyers and would like more information about what Whitten & Lublin can do for you, please contact us online or by phone at (416) 640-2667 today.