Circumstances That May Warrant a Wrongful Termination Claim

If your employer terminates you from your California job, you may feel hurt, confused or downright angry. Because California observes the employment-at-will doctrine, however, your employer can fire you at almost any time, and for almost any reason. There are, however, some key exceptions, and at the Fulton Law Corporation, we have a comprehensive understanding of exactly what these exceptions are. Furthermore, we have helped many former employees seek recourse after they were let go from their jobs for reasons that infringed upon their rights.

Per The Balance, your employer may not terminate your employment for any reason that is discriminatory or otherwise unlawful in nature. For example, he or she may not fire you because he or she disagrees with your religious preferences, or because he or she feels you are too old or too pregnant to work for them. If your employer fired you for reasons you believe are discriminatory, your next action should be to notify the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is a necessary step before pursuing a court case.

Your employer also may not fire you because you choose to “blow the whistle” about wrongdoings, or perceived wrongdoings, within your place of business, such as tax evasion or your employer’s insistence that you do something illegal. He or she also cannot lawfully terminate your employment if you have an existing employment contract in place, which may be in writing, or implied.

These are some of the more common reasons today’s employees file wrongful termination claims against their employers. More about this topic is available on our web page.