Los Angeles Wrongful Termination Lawyer

Wrongful termination: when it hits you, you can be left scrambling to figure out what to do next. A Los Angeles wrongful termination lawyer can help you determine whether you have a case after you have faced some type of wrongful termination, including discriminatory or retaliatory termination, and can help you decide on your next steps.

At-will employment means that an employer has the right to fire an employee at any time for any reason that is not illegal. However, while California has at-will employment laws, employees still cannot be terminated due to discrimination or in retaliation for reporting discrimination or illegal behavior.

Sadly, discrimination in the workplace can be commen, and even result in the termination of employees who are strong and dedicated workers. Discriminatory termination may include termination on the basis of:

• Race
• Religion
• Gender
• Orientation
• Age
• Disability
• Pregnancy/parenthood
• Military Status

An employer cannot fire an employee for those reasons. However, due to at-will employment laws, an employer can terminate an employee for other reasons which are not illegal — and many employers will attempt to prove that the employee has committed some action that justifies the termination. A Los Angeles wrongful termination lawyer can help identify discriminatory termination and will give you more information about your rights.

Retaliatory termination includes any termination of an employee in response to 1) an employee’s complaint of perceived illegal conduct, or 2) an employee exercising his or her right under the law. Some employers, for example, do not like it when an employee takes protected medical leave and may attempt to terminate the employee’s relationship with the company, even though the employee is entitled to the leave. In other cases, the employee may take specific actions such as complaining about unpaid wages or sexual harassment and may end up out of a job as a result. California laws protect employees against retaliatory firing.

Wondering if you may have suffered wrongful termination? Consider these scenarios.

• You do an excellent job in your position and have a strong standing in the industry. However, one day, your status as a member of the LGBT+ community comes out. A few days later, your boss chooses to fire you because of your orientation.
• You reported that your co-worker was sexually harassing you. A few days later, the company chose to terminate your employment.
• You provide a doctor’s note to your employer requesting an accommodation for a disability or medical condition and, rather than accommodate you,  your employer fires you.
• As a Seventh Adventist, you do not work on the Sabbath from Friday night to Saturday night. A supervisor decides that you should be fired rather than be allowed to schedule around your religious observance.
• You reported your company to OSHA for failing to take adequate safety precautions. OSHA came in and issued fines. When your company discovered that you blew the whistle, they fired you.