At Bear Republic Law, we understand that losing your job under questionable circumstances can be devastating. Our wrongful termination lawyers stand ready to advocate for workers throughout California who have faced unlawful dismissal. With our deep understanding of state and federal employment laws, we help employees pursue justice and fair compensation when their employment rights have been violated.
Legal Support You Can Count On
Reach out to our team at 949-569-7224 or visit our contact page to get started today.
What is Wrongful Termination in California?
In California law, wrongful termination occurs when an employer fires an employee for reasons that violate statutory protections, fundamental public policy, or contractual obligations.
While California is an "at-will" employment state (meaning employers can generally terminate employees for any legal reason or no reason), several key exceptions make a termination unlawful:
- Termination that discriminates against protected characteristics under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) or federal law, including race, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin.
- Termination in retaliation for engaging in legally protected activities, such as reporting workplace safety violations, filing wage claims, taking family/medical leave, or whistleblowing.
- Termination that breaches an express or implied employment contract which limits the employer's right to terminate at will.
- Termination that violates fundamental public policy, like firing someone for:
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- Refusing to break the law
- Performing a legal obligation (like jury duty)
- Exercising a statutory right (like filing a workers' compensation claim)
- Reporting a violation of law for the public's benefit
To qualify as wrongful termination under California law, the reason for firing must fall into one of these specific categories that override at-will employment. A termination that seems unfair but doesn't violate these legal protections would not constitute wrongful termination under state law.
Compensation You May Be Entitled To After a Wrongful Termination
If you've experienced wrongful termination in California, Bear Republic Law can help you pursue various forms of compensation. Our wrongful termination lawyers work diligently to ensure our clients receive full and fair compensation for all damages they've suffered. Here are the key types of compensation that may be available in your case:
- Back Pay and Benefits: Compensation for all wages, commissions, bonuses, and benefits you would have earned from the date of termination until your case resolves, minus any earnings from new employment
- Front Pay: Future wages and benefits if reinstatement to your former position isn't feasible or appropriate, calculated based on factors like your age, career trajectory, and local job market conditions
- Lost Insurance Coverage: Reimbursement for out-of-pocket medical expenses or insurance premiums paid after losing employer-provided health coverage due to wrongful termination
- Emotional Distress Damages: Compensation for psychological harm, anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and other emotional impacts caused by the wrongful termination
- Reputational Harm: Damages for injury to your professional reputation and career prospects resulting from the termination, including reduced earning capacity
- Punitive Damages: Additional compensation meant to punish employers for particularly egregious conduct, available in cases involving malice, oppression, or fraud
- Job Search Costs: Reimbursement for expenses incurred while seeking new employment, including career counseling, resume services, and job search-related travel
- Legal Fees and Costs: Recovery of attorney fees, court costs, and litigation expenses if provided for by statute or contract
At Bear Republic Law, our wrongful termination lawyers carefully evaluate all potential damages in each case. We work with financial experts when needed to document losses and build strong evidence supporting maximum compensation. Contact us today to discuss the specific types of compensation you may be entitled to pursue in your wrongful termination case.
How a California Wrongful Termination Lawyer Can Help
At Bear Republic Law, our wrongful termination lawyers provide comprehensive legal support to employees who have lost their jobs unlawfully. When you work with our California employment lawyers, we take a strategic approach to protect your rights and pursue maximum compensation. Here's how we can assist with your wrongful termination case:
- Case Evaluation and Legal Analysis: Our wrongful termination lawyers conduct thorough reviews of your termination circumstances, documentation, and evidence to determine the strength of your claim and identify all potential legal grounds for recovery
- Evidence Collection and Preservation: We gather and safeguard critical evidence including personnel files, performance reviews, email communications, witness statements, and other documentation that supports your wrongful termination claim
- Administrative Filing Requirements: Our team handles all necessary filings with state and federal agencies like the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), ensuring compliance with strict deadlines
- Damages Assessment: We work meticulously to calculate all forms of compensation you may be entitled to, including lost wages, benefits, emotional distress damages, and other financial impacts of your wrongful termination
- Settlement Negotiations: Our wrongful termination lawyers engage in strategic negotiations with employers and their counsel, advocating firmly for fair compensation while exploring opportunities for efficient resolution
- Litigation Strategy: When necessary, we develop and execute comprehensive litigation plans, including discovery, depositions, motion practice, and trial preparation to present your case effectively in court
- Expert Coordination: We collaborate with vocational experts, economists, mental health professionals, and other specialists who can provide crucial testimony supporting your wrongful termination claim
- Employment Contract Analysis: Our California employment lawyers review all relevant agreements, handbooks, and policies to identify potential contract violations and strengthen your legal position
- Ongoing Communication: We keep you informed throughout your case, explaining complex legal concepts in clear terms and providing regular updates on case progress and strategy
At Bear Republic Law, we understand the devastating impact of wrongful termination and are committed to helping you seek justice. Contact our wrongful termination lawyers today to discuss how we can put our knowledge and resources to work for your case.
Wrongful Termination Case Types We Take
At Bear Republic Law, our wrongful termination lawyers handle a wide range of unlawful dismissal cases throughout California. Our firm is committed to protecting employees' rights when they face termination that violates state or federal law. Here are the primary types of wrongful termination cases we handle:
- Discrimination-Based Termination: When employers terminate workers based on protected characteristics including race, age, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, or national origin in violation of California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) or federal anti-discrimination laws
- Retaliatory Discharge: Cases where employees are fired after engaging in legally protected activities such as reporting harassment, filing wage claims, requesting accommodations, taking medical leave, or exposing workplace safety violations
- Contract Violation Termination: Situations involving breach of written employment agreements, implied contracts, or company policies that limit the employer's right to terminate employment at will
- Public Policy Violations: Terminations that conflict with fundamental public policy, such as firing employees for refusing to engage in illegal activities, reporting legal violations, or exercising rights like jury duty or military service
- Medical Leave Violations: Cases where employees are terminated for taking protected medical leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), California Family Rights Act (CFRA), or related state laws
- Whistleblower Retaliation: Terminations following an employee's report of illegal activities, safety violations, financial improprieties, or other misconduct to government agencies or appropriate authorities
- Constructive Discharge: Situations where employers create or permit such intolerable working conditions that employees are essentially forced to resign
- WARN Act Violations: Cases involving employers who fail to provide required advance notice of mass layoffs or facility closures as mandated by state and federal law
- Pregnancy Discrimination: Terminations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, which are specifically protected under California law
If you believe your termination falls into any of these categories, contact our wrongful termination lawyers for a thorough evaluation of your case. Bear Republic Law's California employment lawyers will assess your situation, explain your legal options, and help you pursue appropriate remedies under state and federal law.
What To Do After a Wrongful Termination
At Bear Republic Law, our wrongful termination lawyers advise taking specific steps immediately after being terminated to protect your legal rights and strengthen any potential claims. Here are the critical actions we recommend if you believe you've experienced wrongful termination:
- Document Everything Immediately: Write down a detailed account of your termination meeting, including who was present, what was said, and any reasons given for the termination while the details are fresh in your memory
- Preserve All Evidence: Save all work-related documents, emails, text messages, performance reviews, and other communications that might support your case, making copies and storing them in a secure location outside your work computer
- Request Your Personnel File: Submit a written request to your employer for a complete copy of your personnel file and payroll records, which California law requires them to provide within 30 days
- File for Unemployment Benefits: Apply for unemployment benefits promptly, even if your employer claims you're ineligible, as the application process can generate important documentation about the circumstances of your termination
- Maintain Professional Conduct: Avoid making negative social media posts about your employer or discussing your termination with coworkers, as these actions could potentially harm your legal case
- Track Your Damages: Keep detailed records of all financial losses related to your termination, including lost wages, job search expenses, medical costs, and any other economic impacts
- Begin Job Search Documentation: Document all your efforts to find new employment, including applications submitted, interviews attended, and responses received, as this demonstrates your attempt to mitigate damages
- Review Your Employment Documents: Gather and review all employment agreements, offer letters, employee handbooks, and benefit information that might contain relevant terms or policies regarding termination
- Contact a Wrongful Termination Lawyer: Consult with our California employment lawyers promptly to evaluate your case, as strict legal deadlines apply to wrongful termination claims
Contact Bear Republic Law today for guidance on protecting your rights after a wrongful termination. Our wrongful termination lawyers can help ensure you take the proper steps to preserve your legal claims and pursue the compensation you deserve.
What NOT To Do After a Wrongful Termination
At Bear Republic Law, our wrongful termination lawyers have seen many employees unintentionally damage their legal cases through preventable mistakes. If you believe you've been wrongfully terminated, here are crucial actions to avoid to protect your rights under California employment law:
- Hostile Reactions at Termination: Avoid becoming confrontational or emotional during the termination meeting, as this behavior could be used against you later and potentially undermine claims about a hostile work environment created by the employer
- Social Media Venting: Never post about your termination or former employer on social media platforms, as these statements can be discovered and used to damage your credibility or suggest you're seeking revenge rather than justice
- Workplace Property Retention: Don't keep or remove any company property, documents, or data, as this could justify your termination retroactively and potentially expose you to legal liability
- Hasty Legal Release Signing: Avoid signing any severance agreements, releases, or other legal documents without having a wrongful termination lawyer review them first, as you may inadvertently waive valuable legal rights
- Coworker Discussions: Refrain from discussing your termination or potential legal action with current or former coworkers, as these conversations could be reported back to your employer and compromise your case strategy
- Employer Retaliation: Don't engage in actions that could be seen as retaliation against your employer, such as leaving negative reviews online, contacting clients, or sharing confidential information
- Verbal Agreements: Avoid accepting informal promises or verbal agreements about severance, references, or future opportunities without getting them in writing, as these can be difficult to enforce later
- Evidence Destruction: Never delete emails, texts, or documents related to your employment, even if they seem unfavorable, as destroying evidence can severely damage your legal case and credibility
- Delay in Legal Consultation: Don't wait too long to consult with a California employment lawyer, as crucial evidence may be lost and legal deadlines may expire, potentially barring your claims entirely
Let our wrongful termination lawyers at Bear Republic Law help you navigate the complex aftermath of job termination while avoiding these common pitfalls. Contact us promptly to ensure your actions support rather than hinder your potential legal claims.
Protect Your Rights After Wrongful Termination
If you believe you've experienced wrongful termination, Bear Republic Law is here to help. Our wrongful termination attorneys provide experienced representation for employees throughout California. Contact us today to schedule a confidential consultation and learn how we can help protect your rights and pursue the compensation you deserve.
Legal Support You Can Count On
Reach out to our team at 949-569-7224 or visit our contact page to get started today.
Wrongful Termination Lawyer FAQs
At Bear Republic Law, our wrongful termination lawyers understand you may have questions about the legal process. Here are some important points to consider:
What happens in a consultation with a wrongful termination lawyer?
During your initial meeting, we review the circumstances of your termination, examine any documentation you have, and assess potential legal claims. We explain relevant laws, discuss possible outcomes, and outline our approach to handling your case.
Can my employer give me a bad reference after I file a claim?
California law prohibits employers from retaliating against former employees by providing false or defamatory references. If this occurs, it may strengthen your case and potentially add additional claims.
What if I signed a severance agreement?
Even if you signed a severance agreement, it might be challengeable if you weren't given adequate time to review it, if it contains unenforceable provisions, or if it was obtained through coercion or misrepresentation.
Do I have a case if I was fired during probation?
While probationary periods may limit certain contractual rights, they don't permit termination for illegal discriminatory or retaliatory reasons. Your termination could still be wrongful if it violated state or federal law.
What if my employer is claiming 'poor performance'?
If performance issues were never documented or only arose after you engaged in protected activity, this could suggest the reason is pretextual. We examine the timing and circumstances of performance complaints in relation to other events.
How do you prove wrongful termination?
We build cases through various types of evidence including documentation patterns, witness testimony, statistical data, timing of events, and inconsistencies in employer actions or explanations.
Will filing a claim affect future employment?
State law protects employees from blacklisting and discrimination based on prior legal claims. Additionally, successful resolutions often include agreements about how future employment inquiries will be handled.
Contact Bear Republic Law to discuss your specific situation with our California employment lawyers. We'll help you understand your rights and determine the best strategy for your case.
