Wrongful Termination
Have you been Wronfully terminated?
While most employees in California are “at-will,” meaning that the employer or employee may terminated the employment relationship at any time, a termination of an employer by an employer may become wrongful when it violates a public policy or is unlawful. Public policies may be violated when an employee is terminated for engaging in an activity that is protected by the U.S. Constitution or California Constitution, or by a statute. Some of these protected activities include taking protected medical leave and reporting conduct by an employer that is reasonably believed to be illegal, including reporting discrimination or harassment. California law also prohibits employers from terminating employees based on their race, ancestry, age (40 and over), color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, marital status, genetic information, pregnancy, or disability. Public policies may also be violated when an employee is terminated for refusing to engage in illegal conduct. A termination may also be wrongful if an employee is fired for standing up for or associating with victims of discrimination or harassment.
