What Is Considered Wrongful Termination in CA?

It can be difficult to determine whether or not your boss had the right to terminate your employment in California. California is an at-will employment state, meaning employers do not need reasons to fire their employees. In exchange, employees do not need to give notices before quitting their jobs. Even at-will employment laws, however, do not give employers the right to terminate jobs based on a protected class, such as sexuality or religious beliefs. This is wrongful termination, and it is against the law in California. Speak to a Los Angeles wrongful termination lawyer if you have been released from your job on unlawful terms.

What is the Law About Racial Discrimination in California?

Losing your job or a hiring opportunity because of any protected class could qualify you to bring a civil claim for discrimination or wrongful termination. This includes your age, gender, gender expression, sex, sexuality, marital status, pregnancy, disability, religion, race, ethnicity, origin, and color. Racial discrimination is, unfortunately, a common factor involved in wrongful termination cases in California. It specifically refers to an employer discriminating against an applicant or employee because of his or her race.

Racial discrimination is unfair treatment by an employer because of your hair color or texture, skin color, complexion, facial features, or physical features. It can also stem from an employer’s biases against your ethnicity or nation of origin. Racial discrimination is against federal and state laws. If you suspect you lost your job due to racial discrimination, you could have a wrongful termination claim against your employer. The law forbids an employer to make hiring, firing, promotion, demotion and other employment decisions based on race or color. It is not within an employer’s at-will employment rights to fire you because of your race.

Can You Be Fired for Your Sexuality?

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits employment discrimination based on race and other protected categories. It also makes it unlawful to retaliate against employees and applicants who complain about discrimination or harassment at work, including those who file related lawsuits. The federal law against racial discrimination is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects employees from the full range of employment decisions based on protected classes.

The same laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race do the same for a worker’s sexuality. It is wrongful for an employer to terminate your job after learning of your sexual orientation or gender expression, for example. California has some of the strongest LGBT discrimination laws in the country. FEHA bans discrimination based on sexuality in all business practices, including hiring, firing, promoting, transferring, compensating, advertising, interning and marketing. Facing discrimination, harassment or job termination because of your sexuality could give you the right to file a lawsuit against your employer.

Can You Be Fired for Your Religious Beliefs?

Religious discrimination is another unlawful and prohibited action under federal and state employment law. An employer cannot fire you for your religious beliefs or practices, even if you require reasonable accommodations to suit your religious needs at work. If you need the day off because of a holiday-specific to your religion, for example, your employer lawfully must comply. It is illegal to treat you differently at your job because of your religion. This includes harassing, discriminating against, failing to accommodate and terminating your employment.

What to Do About Wrongful Termination in California?

Speak to an attorney if you recently lost your job under suspicious circumstances, such as after your boss learned of your religion, sexuality, marital status, race, disability or pregnancy, or after you experienced acts of harassment or discrimination at work. In these situations, a wrongful termination suit could give you your job back, if you want it, as well as compensation such as back pay, interest payments and punitive damages to reimburse you for your lost wages. You may also receive a monetary award to cover your legal fees if you had to hire an attorney to represent you. Wrongful termination is a tort no employee should have to experience. Hire a lawyer to help you fight back.