Helping You Seek Justice For Wrongful Termination
You have probably heard the expression that California is an “at-will” state. Most people believe this means that you can be fired for any reason whatsoever. This is not true.
Employers routinely terminate employees for unlawful reasons, claiming that the termination is justified because California is an “at-will” state. If you believe you were illegally terminated, speak with our employment attorneys at Solmer Law Corp. We can analyze your case and determine whether you have grounds for filing a wrongful termination claim.
Grounds For A Wrongful Termination Case
Although employees are protected from wrongful termination by California law, sometimes employees can be taken advantage of because they are unfamiliar with the specifics of the law. Some terminated employees may not be certain that the circumstances leading to their termination were “wrongful.” Wrongful termination can take place in many different situations and on many different grounds.
You may have a wrongful termination case if you were fired for discriminatory reasons. Likewise, you may have a claim if you were fired in retaliation for exercising your employment rights or reporting illegal activity. An employment contract can also provide grounds for a wrongful termination claim.
Even if you were not fired, you may still have a case if you were demoted or forced to resign for an illegal reason.
Common Examples Of Wrongful Termination
You may have been wrongfully terminated if you were fired or forced to resign within six months after:
- You complained about sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation or other illegal behavior
- You returned from a family, pregnancy or medical leave, or asked for approval to take a leave
- You asked for a job modification to accommodate an injury
- You got injured
- You complained about unsafe working conditions
- You complained about unpaid overtime or interrupted meal or rest breaks
- You were harassed by your supervisor, coworker or customer
- You refused to do something illegal or unethical
Scenarios where employers try to force employees to do illegal or unlawful duties may include the following:
- You are a nurse or other licensed professional ordered to falsify documents to pass a governmental audit. You refuse. In retaliation for your refusal, your employer writes you up, gives warnings and then fires you.
- You are a HR representative and are told to ignore illegal acts by other employees. You refuse and are fired.
- You are a delivery person working for one restaurant as an independent contractor. You ask to receive the same treatment and benefits as employees because you believe you are misclassified. Your request is refused and you are fired in retaliation.
- You are pregnant or have a disability and need more rest breaks or other accommodations. You ask for light duty or more breaks but are refused and get fired.
Fight For Your Rights And Livelihood. We Can Help.
While you might feel like you have no way to overcome your circumstances, remember that there are stringent state and federal laws that protect you from wrongful termination. Our lawyers at Solmer Law Corp can zealously advocate for your rights and fight for the compensation you need and deserve.
Learn more by calling our Orange County office at 714-794-8558 or reaching out through our online contact form.