Wrongful Termination Calculator

Calculate damages for wrongful termination: back pay + front pay + emotional distress + punitive + attorney fees under Title VII / state law. Methodology and assumptions documented below; sources cited.

Compensatory Damages Components

Back pay = wages lost from termination to trial/settlement, minus mitigation (other earnings). Front pay = future lost wages if reinstatement not feasible (3-10 years typical depending on age and re-employment difficulty). Emotional distress damages compensate for mental anguish — capped under Title VII, uncapped under most state FEPA statutes. Medical expenses for therapy or treatment also recoverable.

Punitive Damages Limits

Title VII caps compensatory + punitive combined: $50k (15-100 employees), $100k (101-200), $200k (201-500), $300k (501+). California FEHA has no cap. New York State has no cap. Punitive requires showing "malice or reckless indifference to federally protected rights" (Kolstad standard). Most employer-defendant cases settle without punitive — punitive risk is the trial threat that pushes settlement.

Attorney Fees Recoverable

Title VII and most state employment discrimination statutes are fee-shifting — prevailing plaintiff can recover reasonable attorney fees from defendant. This is on top of contingency fee arrangements (typically 33-40% of plaintiff's recovery). Many cases settle pre-trial precisely because employer faces $200k+ attorney fee exposure if they lose. Always demand attorney fees in your settlement letter.

Last updated May 2026. Sources: EEOC Title VII, US DOL Wage and Hour.