Long Beach Workplace Termination Lawyer

Long Beach Workplace Termination Attorney

Losing your job can be one of the most sudden and overwhelming incidents of your life, especially if you did not see it coming. You may even feel like your job was lost due to circumstances that were not only out of your control but also illegal. Wrongful termination can be difficult to prove in California. If it happened to you right after you reported sexual harassment or other behavior, you may want to speak to a Long Beach workplace termination lawyer for help.

The legal team at Sexual Harassment Law Firm CA understands the inherent difficulties of proving a wrongful termination case. The last thing you want is to lose out on a potential legal claim due to a lack of evidence. It’s vital that you document everything you can to prevent yourself from being further taken advantage of by your employer. The right wrongful termination lawyer can build a strong case and argue on your behalf to hold your employer accountable for what they’ve done to you.

What Is Wrongful Termination?

Wrongful termination occurs when your employer fires you for an illegal reason. California is an at-will employment state, which means your employer is not required to provide a reason for firing you. They can do so whenever they wish. It also means you are allowed to quit your job whenever you want without much consequence. The state’s at-will employment laws make it difficult to prove wrongful termination without much evidence supporting your claim.

At-will employment does not give your employer the right to fire you for any reason. There are numerous situations where firing you would be illegal. These incidents would open your employer up to a costly wrongful termination case. Wrongful termination violates California’s comprehensive labor laws, so you may want to consider reaching out to an employment lawyer for help if you decide to move forward with a case. Here are some of the situations where termination is wrongful:

Discrimination

Firing someone based on their protected traits is illegal at both the state and federal levels. Your employer cannot discriminate against you because of your:

• Age
• Race
• Gender identity
• Religion
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• National origin
• Pregnancy

If your employer fires you and you can prove it was because of your protected trait, you should immediately reach out to an employment lawyer for help in building a case.

Retaliation

It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you when you report illegal, immoral, or malicious behavior to the proper authorities. This includes reporting incidents of sexual harassment, which can sometimes make your employer view you as a traitor to the company. Unfortunately, that’s not uncommon behavior. If it happens to you, you should consider consulting an employment lawyer who can legally protect you from what comes next.

Breach of Contract

Certain employment contracts may be breached if your employer decides to fire you. They may soon learn that they are violating the terms of your employment contract if they fire you for reasons not permitted in that contract. Breaches of contract are also illegal, so you can file a claim for both the sexual harassment and violating contract law.

Constructive Discharge

In some cases, to avoid firing you themselves, your employer may instead decide to make your working conditions so unbearable that you quit on your own. If you can prove that your employer is actively creating a hostile work environment to force you out, you may have quite a strong case for wrongful termination.

Statute of Limitations

If you ultimately decide to move forward with legal action against your employer in a wrongful termination case, it is vital to your case’s survival that you adhere to California’s statute of limitations on wrongful termination claims. In most cases, you will have three years to:

• Consult a wrongful termination lawyer.
• Establish grounds for your claim.
• Put together a strong case.
• Gather evidence of wrongdoing by your employer.
• File a claim with the Civil Rights Department (CRD).

If you can’t file your claim before three years have passed since your firing, you may need to face the unfortunate fact that your case will be dismissed outright. Your chance to pursue damages against your employer for wrongful termination will pass by. You should contact an attorney as soon as possible to start building your case as soon as you can, as it can take a lot more time to build a strong case than you may expect.

According to data gathered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), there were nearly 1,500 reported incidents of workplace discrimination involving sex in 2024 alone. These include cases based around gender identity and sexual orientation, along with cases revolving around sexual harassment. If you lose your job, you may want to reach out to a local resource, such as the Long Beach Workforce Innovation Network (LBWIN) or CalWORKs.

Wrongful Termination Due to Sexual Harassment

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to lose your job after reporting an incident of sexual harassment. No employer wants to be connected to a case of sexual harassment. They may decide that firing you is easier to deal with than the potential legal fallout, unaware that legal fallout may be coming their way anyway. If you end up losing your job because of your employer’s unethical decision-making, you should quickly consult an employment lawyer.

Sexual harassment is any behavior considered sexually charged or sexually motivated that leaves someone feeling uncomfortable, unsafe, or degraded. While not unique to the workplace, sexual harassment is quite common in every state in the country, including California. There may be workplaces where sexual harassment has become such a constant part of the work culture that you may fail to realize you are even being harassed until much later.

If you are sexually harassed, it is vital that you report the incident immediately through the proper channels of your workplace. Depending on your company’s policy toward sexual harassment claims, you may have to report the incident to your immediate supervisor before taking it to HR. Make sure you document every instance of harassment so you are fully prepared with the proof you need for your case.

FAQs

What Are the Odds of Winning a Wrongful Termination Case?

The odds of winning your wrongful termination case cannot be determined without a case evaluation. Every wrongful termination case is different, with each one having its own details and contributing factors that make it unique. The various factors that could influence your odds of winning your case include the amount of evidence you have of your employer’s misconduct and your lawyer’s own negotiation skills, among others.

Should I Inform HR That I’m Taking Legal Action?

Generally, it is not recommended that you tell your HR department that you are going to be taking legal action against the company. It’s not even recommended that you tell them you’re retaining a lawyer. If it’s reached that point, your employer clearly does not have your interests at heart, and they may start to foster a hostile work environment, just to get you to quit on your own. You don’t have to tell your employer anything you don’t want to.

What Qualifies as Wrongful Termination in California?

Any action taken by your employer to fire you for an illegal reason is considered wrongful termination in California. While California is an at-will employment state, there are still many different illegal reasons that can put your employer in legal jeopardy if they fire you for any of them. These include discrimination, breach of contract, constructive discharge, and retaliation. Reach out to an employment lawyer to start building a legal case against your employer if this happens to you.

Is a Wrongful Termination Case Worth Pursuing?

Only you can answer this question. Ultimately, it is your decision to pursue a wrongful termination claim or not. If you choose to pursue it, you need to be prepared for a potentially lengthy court battle, as your employer may not be willing to settle out of court. You will need to consider the strength of your case, the amount of evidence you have, and how much time you may have to devote to fighting this.

Reach Out to a Wrongful Termination Lawyer Today

Being fired out of nowhere can be frustrating and terrifying on its own, especially if you have not had any time to prepare for such a sudden complication. The situation can get even messier when you realize you may have been wrongfully terminated. Pursuing legal action on your own can be difficult, so you may want to consider reaching out to an experienced wrongful termination lawyer as soon as you can.

Sexual Harassment Law Firm CA knows the most effective ways to put together a wrongful termination case. We can build your case, gather the evidence it will need, and make sure nobody tries to take advantage of you throughout this process. Contact us to speak to a member of our team to set up a consultation.