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California law provides strong protections for employees and the state. These laws include protections against discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations, and more. Unfortunately, there are times when employers in California violate labor laws and terminate employees wrongfully. At the Marcarian Law Firm, P.C., our Los Angeles Wrongful Termination Attorney has extensive experience handling these claims. We have the resources necessary to investigate instances of wrongful termination and to help clients secure the compensation they are entitled to.
Even though California is an at-will employment state, which means that an employer can choose to terminate an employee for just about any reason, there are still several ways in which wrongful termination cases can arise. This is particularly true if an employer violates state or federal law when terminating an employee.
When we turn to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), we can see that termination based on discrimination is illegal. Particularly, the law protects those from discrimination based on their
In addition to discrimination, we also know that employees can face termination for a variety of other reasons that occur in the workplace that an employer may be unhappy about. Some of the most common reasons that employers retaliate against employees in California include the following:
Finally, any termination that results in a violation of public policy will also be considered wrongful termination. Public policy wrongful terminations can arise in a variety of ways, including terminating someone:
If you or somebody you love has been wrongfully terminated by an employer in Los Angeles or throughout California, reach out to the team at the Marcarian Law Firm, P.C. as soon as possible. Our Top Employment Lawyer in California have years of experience helping wrongfully terminated employees obtain the compensation and justice they are entitled to. We will not hesitate to stand up to aggressive employers and their legal teams, and our goal is to ensure you recover compensation for:
Additionally, our team will work to help you get reinstated to your job if that is the desired outcome. When you need the Best Wrongful Termination Lawyer, you can contact us for an initial consultation of your case by clicking here or calling 818-995-8787 or 800-924-3784.
Marc McCulloch: There are quite a few misconceptions about “wrongful termination” in the legal sense. California is an “at-will” employment state – meaning an employer hires you at will and can terminate you. Unless you have an employment contract, an employer can pretty much fire you or lay you off for almost any reason at any time. They do not need to have a great reason to do it and they can even make a mistake in firing you. But, they can’t fire you or lay you off for an unlawful reason, as defined by California law – that would be “wrongful termination.” (California Government Code Section 12940 and/or California Labor Code Section 1102.5) Again, it must be unlawful. They do not have to fire you for a fair reason. There is a lot of unfairness in the workplace, but that is not necessarily wrongful termination. Some examples of wrongful termination would be situations where your employer fires you because you complained about not getting your proper wages, not getting your overtime, not getting your lawful meal breaks, and not getting your lawful rest breaks. In those situations, you are complaining about unlawful employer behavior, and you can’t be fired because you did – that would be a “wrongful termination.”
Another example would be if you were terminated because your employer asked you to do something unlawful such as cheat a customer, make money, or falsify some government reporting records. The activity your employer is asking you to perform is not lawful, and if they fire you because you refuse to do something unlawful, that is “wrongful termination.” There are other examples, but it is a fairly well-defined and finite area by law. It is also a challenging area in which to prosecute a claim, but we have done it and we have been successful.
Marc McCulloch: First of all, the attorney must get the whole story from the employee who thinks they have been wrongfully terminated. Once the attorney has all of those facts, he or she can help the employee determine whether or not it was simply an unfair decision on the part of the employer or unlawful wrongful termination. There is quite a bit of case law on wrongful termination, so there are all kinds of nuances. Only an experienced attorney can help an employee figure out whether or not they have a wrongful termination claim. Then, that attorney can properly construct a complaint and file a lawsuit. All of this has to be done with a great deal of care and attention to the facts of your particular case.
Marc McCulloch: Unless you know California employment law, it is doubtful that the employee layperson would be able to tell whether or not they had been wrongfully terminated. There is no question that there are grossly unfair practices and unfair treatment of employees. We hear it every day. However, an employer can make a mistake and fire you for the wrong reason (or even no reason) as long as it is not an unlawful reason. Don’t hesitate to call the Marcarian Law Firm, P.C., and ask to speak to one of the attorneys. There is no charge for the initial consultation, and, of course, everything you discuss with us is confidential. The important point to remember is not to wait too long, because the law limits the time in which you can start a lawsuit.
If you (or someone you know) have been treated unfairly by your employer, contact the Marcarian Law Firm, P.C., for a consultation concerning your particular situation at 800-924-3784.