Newport Beach Wrongful Termination Lawyers
California is an “at-will” employment state. Employment at-will means that you can quit your job at any time for any reason or without giving your boss a reason at all. Likewise, your employer can fire you at any time for any reason or without giving you a reason at all. Your continued employment is “at the will” of both parties. However, although California is an at-will state when it comes to employment, California is also one of the strongest states in the country when it comes to protecting employees from unfair treatment. There are many ways in which an employer’s termination of your employment could be unlawful. When that occurs, you might have a claim for wrongful termination or wrongful discharge, allowing you to get your job back and/or recover compensation for the damages the employer’s wrongful conduct inflicted on you. The Garza Firm fights to protect workers in Southern California who have been unlawfully discharged for discriminatory and other illegal reasons. We provide outstanding service to our clients with the goal of getting great results every time. If you were fired from your job in violation of California state or federal law, contact our experienced Newport Beach wrongful termination lawyers today.
Wrongful Termination for Employment Discrimination
One of the biggest protections workers have against wrongful termination is that they cannot be fired for unlawful discriminatory reasons. Between federal laws like Title VII and California laws like FEHA, workers in Newport Beach cannot be fired because of their race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, age (40 and over), physical or mental disability, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, marital statutes, or military or veteran status.
Employers who fire their employees for one of these unlawful discriminatory reasons don’t always make their discriminatory motives plain. They might not offer any reason for the discharge, or they might cite some other reason for the termination, such as poor work performance, that appears legitimate and non-discriminatory. However, that offered reason is often just a pretext that masks the true, discriminatory reason for the termination. If you are a member of a protected class as noted above and believe your firing was discriminatory, call The Garza Firm for a free consultation. We’ll evaluate your claim and let you know whether we think you have a case. We represent employees in Newport Beach and throughout Los Angeles and Orange County who have been the victims of employment discrimination up to and including wrongful termination based on their membership in a protected class.
Wrongful Termination for Retaliation and Whistleblowing
Whistleblowing and retaliation are other common reasons workers are wrongfully discharged. Employees have a protected legal right under numerous laws to speak up about problems they see in the workplace, including wage and hour errors, unlawful discrimination, violations of building codes or workplace safety, environmental law violations, or bookkeeping errors and potential fraud against the government. Workers are protected whether they bring these matters to the attention of their employers, file complaints with government agencies, or cooperate in government investigations. Engaging in union organizing or concerted activity regarding working conditions can also be protected activity under the law. Employers often find a way to retaliate against whistleblowers or employees with a grievance against the company. All of a sudden, the worker starts to get reprimanded for minor infractions that were never an issue before or that aren’t an issue with other employees, and a termination quickly follows. Our employment legal team works to uncover retaliatory motives for discharge and prove wrongful termination against employers who would rather fire complaining employees than deal with the underlying issue. If you need to speak up about a problem at work, or if you have been retaliated against for speaking up, including demotions, discipline, reassignments, reduced hours, or discharge, call the wrongful termination lawyers at The Garza Firm to investigate your claim and right the wrong that was done to you.
Wrongful Termination in Violation of Contract
The concept of at-will employment only applies to private employees who do not have an employment contract. If you are a government worker, if you work at a unionized workplace, or if you have a contract of employment, then you cannot be terminated except in accordance with the terms of your contract. That contract might prohibit discharge except for a cause listed in the contract or for “good cause” generally; it’s important to look at the terms of your contract to see if it has been violated. You might even have contractual employment rights without an express written agreement. Statements in employee handbooks, policy manuals, and oral promises can all create rights to continued employment that serve as exceptions to the at-will employment rule. Even if you were laid off because of lack of funds or lack of work, employers of a certain size are required to follow specific procedures in the law to implement a layoff or reduction in force properly. If you think your termination might have been unlawful, The Garza Firm offers a free consultation to visit with you about the circumstances of your firing and conduct an evaluation of your potential claim.
Contact The Garza Firm Today
If you have been fired or laid off in Los Angeles or Orange County for an unlawful reason in violation of your rights, The Garza Firm is here to help and wants to hear from you. Contact our experienced Newport Beach wrongful termination lawyers today for a no-cost case evaluation and dedicated assistance protecting and vindicating your rights.
