Wrongful Termination in Wyoming (2026): Laws, Deadlines, How to File

Wyoming employment is generally at will: either side can end it without cause unless a contract, a statute or a narrow court-made rule says otherwise. The main statute is the Wyoming Fair Employment Practices Act of 1965, which makes it unlawful for an employer "to discharge" a qualified person because of age, sex, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy or disability (Wyo. Stat. 27-9-105(a)(i)). To compare other states, see our guide to wrongful termination laws by state.

Information last verified on October 10, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Wyoming law on firing employees: the Fair Employment Practices Act (Wyo. Stat. 27-9-101 to 27-9-106), other Wyoming statutes that bar particular firings, and Wyoming Supreme Court decisions on public policy, handbooks and good faith, with short notes on the federal laws that also apply. The federal rules in full are on our wrongful termination laws by state guide. It does not cover severance agreements; see Wyoming severance pay laws.

Is Wyoming an at-will state?

Yes for most private-sector jobs. Our research found no statutory just-cause rule for private employment in Wyoming; a handbook can create one by contract (see below). The Wyoming Supreme Court's decisions treat employment as at will unless the parties' terms say otherwise. For how the doctrine works day to day, see Wyoming at-will employment laws.

Grounds for a wrongful termination claim in Wyoming

Discrimination under the Fair Employment Practices Act

Wyo. Stat. 27-9-105(a)(i) makes it a discriminatory or unfair employment practice "for an employer to refuse to hire, to discharge, to promote or demote, or to discriminate in matters of compensation or the terms, conditions or privileges of employment against, a qualified disabled person or any person otherwise qualified, because of age, sex, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry or pregnancy."

Age. The age protection applies "only to persons at least forty (40) years of age" (27-9-105(b)).

Disability. A "qualified disabled person" is a disabled person capable of performing a particular job "with reasonable accommodation to his disability" (27-9-105(d)).

Off-duty tobacco use. Under 27-9-105(a)(iv), employers may not require employees to use or refrain from using tobacco products outside work, subject to a bona fide occupational qualification exception.

Who is covered. Under 27-9-102(b), "employer" means "the state of Wyoming or any political subdivision or board, commission, department, institution or school district thereof, and every other person employing two (2) or more employees within the state; but it does not mean religious organizations or associations." So the Act reaches public employers and private employers with as few as two workers in Wyoming.

What the Act does not list. Sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, military status and arrest or conviction record do not appear in 27-9-105. Federal Title VII covers sexual orientation and gender identity at employers with 15 or more employees: in Bostock v. Clayton County, 590 U.S. 644 (2020), the U.S. Supreme Court held that "An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender violates Title VII." The EEOC charge deadline for those claims in Wyoming is 300 days (see below). Our research did not cover city ordinances in Wyoming.

No retaliation clause. Our research read the full text of 27-9-101 through 27-9-106 and found no provision barring retaliation against someone who files a discrimination complaint. Federal retaliation protections are covered on the hub.

Firing for a workers' compensation claim (public policy)

Wyoming's public-policy claim is narrow. In Griess v. Consolidated Freightways Corp., 776 P.2d 752 (Wyo. 1989), the Wyoming Supreme Court held "that a person whose employment is terminated for exercising rights under the worker's compensation statutes and who is not covered by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement has a cause of action in tort against the employer for damages." The court relied on the Wyoming Constitution and the workers' compensation statutes. For benefits, see Wyoming workers' compensation laws.

The court has refused to stretch the claim where the law already gives a remedy. In Allen v. Safeway Stores, Inc., 699 P.2d 277 (Wyo. 1985), it said: "If there exists another remedy for violation of the social policy which resulted in the discharge of the employee, there is no need for a court-imposed separate tort action premised on public policy." The Allens' claims based on free speech, sex discrimination and marital status failed. So a discrimination firing covered by the Fair Employment Practices Act runs through the Act, not a separate public-policy tort. In Kolar v. R & P, Inc. (2009), the court upheld the refusal to decide a fired worker's public-policy claim for disability discrimination "because Kolar had not exhausted his administrative remedies" (see below). Our research found no other recognized public-policy category in the cases it read.

Handbooks and implied contracts

A handbook can take a job out of at-will status. In Mobil Coal Producing, Inc. v. Parks, 704 P.2d 702 (Wyo. 1985), the court held that "The provisions of appellant's employee handbook make appellee's employment to be other than 'at will,'" and affirmed because the employer did not substantially comply with them. It cautioned: "This is not to say that the existence of a handbook or employer's manual will make employment other than at will in all instances. Each case must be considered on its own merits."

Good faith and fair dealing

In Wilder v. Cody Country Chamber of Commerce, 868 P.2d 211 (Wyo. 1994), the Wyoming Supreme Court held "that all contracts of employment contain an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing." But the covenant "does not create a duty for the employer to terminate the employee only for good cause."

A breach supports a tort claim only where "a special relationship of trust and reliance exists between the particular employee seeking recovery and the employer." The court said that relationship may come from "separate consideration, common law, statutory rights, or rights accruing with longevity of service." Wilder lost the good-faith claim: three years of employment did not create a special relationship, and there was no evidence of a firing to avoid earned benefits. The court did reverse summary judgment on his breach-of-contract claim, which rested on a letter placing him on probation pending an audit, and on his emotional-distress claim.

Whistleblowing

Our research found no general private-sector whistleblower statute in Wyoming. State employees (people working an average of 20 or more hours a week for the state, not for a county, city, school district or other political subdivision) are protected by the State Government Fraud Reduction Act: a state employer may not discharge, discipline or retaliate against one who, in good faith and within the scope of employment duties, reports in writing fraud, waste or gross mismanagement, a violation of law, or a health or safety risk, or takes part in an investigation (Wyo. Stat. 9-11-102, 9-11-103(a)). The report generally must first go to a supervisor with a reasonable opportunity to correct the problem (9-11-103(b)). After "exhausting all available administrative remedies," the employee may sue within 90 days after the final administrative determination or the violation, whichever is later; recovery is limited to reinstatement, back wages and benefits, and the court may award costs and attorney fees (9-11-103(c)). Private employees are protected for wage complaints (27-4-502(b)) and workplace-safety complaints (27-11-109(e)), described in the table below. A 2026 bill to create a Wyoming False Claims Act with retaliation remedies (SF0092) died in a House committee on March 3, 2026. See Wyoming whistleblower laws.

Other firing bans in Wyoming law

Our research found no Wyoming paid sick leave or family leave statute in a keyword search of Title 27 and did not establish that none exists. It did not research firearm, volunteer emergency responder or false-claims firing protections beyond the failed SF0092. Federal law adds the FMLA (employers with 50 or more employees, 29 U.S.C. 2611(4)) and USERRA's bar on denying "retention in employment" for military service (38 U.S.C. 4311(a)).

Deadlines for Wyoming wrongful termination claims

Our research found no decision deciding which of these general periods applies to a Griess workers' compensation tort or a handbook claim, so this page does not state one; get legal advice promptly. The EEOC says "the deadline usually applies to each event," so a demotion and a later firing can carry separate deadlines.

Where to file a discrimination complaint in Wyoming

The state agency. Under 27-9-106(a), a person claiming to be aggrieved "may, personally or through his attorney, make, sign and file with the department within six (6) months of the alleged violation a verified, written complaint in duplicate." The department is the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (27-9-102(d)). Its Labor Standards page says the division will "Investigate and resolve wage claims and discrimination complaints." Our research did not find a separate online intake page for discrimination complaints, so contact Labor Standards directly.

The EEOC. The EEOC's Denver Field Office and Phoenix District Office both list Wyoming. Both say an individual has 300 days from the date of alleged harm to file a charge against an employer with 15 or more employees (race, color, national origin, sex, religion or disability) and against an employer with 20 or more employees for age; the Phoenix page says an individual "usually" has 300 days. For smaller employers, both pages send charges to the state agency within the time limits of state law. The Denver page gives six months for Wyoming; the EEOC's Phoenix page still lists 90 days, but the statute gives six months (27-9-106(a)). Federal charges start through the EEOC Public Portal.

Wyo. Stat. 27-9-104(a)(vii) authorizes the department to enter into agreements with and assist the EEOC, but our research found no statement confirming a worksharing agreement for Wyoming. Do not assume a state complaint automatically files a federal charge; ask both agencies, or file with each, before the earlier deadline.

From complaint to a decision

The Act sets out an administrative process, not a lawsuit. The department investigates and issues a determination (27-9-106(a)). If the employer or employee is "aggrieved by the department's determination," either may request a fair hearing under the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act (27-9-106(k)), before an independent hearing officer the department contracts with (27-9-104(b)).

The department issues an order within 14 days of the hearing officer's decision. If the employer does not appeal or comply within 30 days, "the department may petition the appropriate district court for enforcement" (27-9-106(m)).

The current text of 27-9-101 to 27-9-106 contains no express right to sue or right-to-sue letter; the court provisions that once sat in subsections (b) to (j) were repealed by Laws 2001, ch. 162. The Wyoming Supreme Court has required workers to finish the department's process before suing. In Kolar v. R & P, Inc., 2009 WY 56, 205 P.3d 1041, a fired worker's disability complaint failed to conciliate at the state agency, the EEOC issued him a Notice of Right to Sue, and he sued in state court for discharge in violation of public policy. The court noted that the agency's rules let either party request a hearing before an independent hearing officer once conciliation fails, and that "Kolar failed to avail himself of that 'fair hearing process.'" It upheld the refusal to decide his public-policy claim "because Kolar had not exhausted his administrative remedies." So a federal right-to-sue notice does not complete the state process; if the department does not resolve your complaint, ask it promptly how to request the fair hearing (our research did not find the deadline for that request). Judicial review of a final agency decision is "Subject to the requirement that administrative remedies be exhausted" (Wyo. Stat. 16-3-114(a)), and the petition for review "shall be filed within 30 days after service upon all parties of the final decision of the agency" (W.R.A.P. 12.04(a)); a district court may extend that by no more than 30 days on a showing of excusable neglect (12.04(b)). A federal Title VII or ADA suit requires an EEOC charge first, then suit within 90 days of the Notice of Right to Sue (42 U.S.C. 2000e-5(f)(1)).

What the hearing officer can award

Under 27-9-106(n), if the hearing officer finds a discriminatory or unfair practice, the decision may:

• require the employer to cease and desist;
• require "remedial action which may include hiring, retaining, reinstating or upgrading of employees";
• require posted notices, compliance reports "and any other relief that the hearing officer deems necessary and appropriate to make the complainant whole"; or
• require the employer "to pay backpay or front pay."

The Act's text provides no compensatory or punitive damages and no attorney fees, so there is no state damages cap. Federal Title VII and ADA claims carry combined compensatory and punitive caps of $50,000 to $300,000 by employer size (42 U.S.C. 1981a(b)(3)); the hub explains them.

Constructive discharge

Our research did not open a Wyoming Supreme Court decision on constructive discharge (quitting because conditions became intolerable). If you are thinking of resigning because of how you are being treated, get legal advice first.

References, personnel files and final pay

Our research found no Wyoming statute requiring an employer to give a reason for a firing or to open a personnel file to private-sector employees (a search of Title 27, not a full code search). For when your last check is due, see Wyoming final paycheck laws.

Recent changes to Wyoming law

Our research found no 2025 or 2026 amendment to the Fair Employment Practices Act, its filing deadline, remedies or employer threshold (a search of bill titles, plus the Title 27 history notes).

• Failed: 2025 HB0096, which would have barred mask, vaccine and testing discrimination with a civil cause of action, died in a Senate committee (returned March 3, 2025). 2026 SF0092, the proposed Wyoming False Claims Act with retaliation remedies, died in a House committee (returned March 3, 2026).
• Government entities only: 2025 HB0147 (Chapter 110) bars governmental entities from DEI programs and "institutional discrimination"; it does not apply to private employers. A separate bill to terminate and defund DEI (SF0103) was vetoed on March 4, 2025.

Practical steps after a firing in Wyoming

Write down the dates, who said what, and the reason you were given, and keep copies of reviews, messages and pay records. The six-month state deadline is short, and the complaint must be verified and written.

If the employer offers money for a release, read it before signing: a release can give up the claims described here. Our Wyoming severance pay laws page covers those agreements, and the wrongful termination guide has more on preparing a claim.

Related

• Wrongful termination laws by state
• Wyoming at-will employment laws
• Wyoming workers' compensation laws
• Wyoming whistleblower laws
• Wyoming severance pay laws

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about Wyoming wrongful termination law (the Fair Employment Practices Act, Wyo. Stat. 27-9-101 to 27-9-106; Wyo. Stat. 1-11-401, 27-4-502 and related statutes; and Wyoming Supreme Court decisions) and the federal laws that apply in Wyoming. It is not legal advice. The information was verified on October 10, 2026. For advice about your situation, contact the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, the EEOC, a legal aid office or a lawyer licensed in Wyoming.

Last updated: October 10, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sue for wrongful termination in Wyoming?

Only when the firing broke a specific law or one of the narrow court-made rules, such as the workers' compensation retaliation tort in Griess v. Consolidated Freightways (1989) or a handbook contract under Mobil Coal v. Parks (1985). Discrimination complaints under the Fair Employment Practices Act go to the Department of Workforce Services. In Kolar v. R & P (2009), a fired worker's public-policy claim for disability discrimination was not heard because he had not used the department's fair-hearing process, even though the EEOC had issued him a right-to-sue notice.

How long do I have to file a discrimination complaint in Wyoming?

Six months from the alleged violation for a verified written complaint with the Department of Workforce Services (Wyo. Stat. 27-9-106(a)). The EEOC gives 300 days from the date of alleged harm for charges against employers with 15 or more employees, or 20 or more for age.

Does Wyoming's discrimination law cover small employers?

Yes. Wyo. Stat. 27-9-102(b) covers every employer with 2 or more employees in the state, plus the state and its political subdivisions, but not religious organizations. Federal Title VII and the ADA start at 15 employees.

Is sexual orientation or gender identity protected from firing in Wyoming?

Wyo. Stat. 27-9-105 does not list them. Federal Title VII covers both at employers with 15 or more employees (Bostock v. Clayton County, 2020), with a 300-day EEOC charge deadline in Wyoming.

Can I get punitive damages for a discriminatory firing in Wyoming?

Not under the state Act, which provides cease-and-desist orders, reinstatement, back pay or front pay (27-9-106(n)). Federal Title VII allows capped compensatory and punitive damages (42 U.S.C. 1981a(b)(3)).

Is it illegal to fire someone for filing workers' comp in Wyoming?

The Wyoming Supreme Court held in Griess v. Consolidated Freightways (1989) that a worker fired for exercising workers' compensation rights has a tort claim for damages, unless covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

Can my employer fire me for jury duty in Wyoming?

No. Wyo. Stat. 1-11-401 bars discharging an employee because of jury service. A suit must be brought within six months and can lead to reinstatement, exemplary damages up to $1,000 per violation per employee, and attorney fees.

Can I be fired for complaining about unpaid wages in Wyoming?

Wyo. Stat. 27-4-502(b) makes it unlawful to discharge an employee for filing a claim for unpaid wages or making any other complaint, with relief including reinstatement, lost wages and an equal amount as liquidated damages.