People who lose their jobs every day. Conflicts with coworkers, performance issues and even financial struggles at a company can lead to worker terminations. Most professionals eventually find new opportunities and rebuild after an unexpected job loss.
However, some recently fired professionals may have reason to demand accountability from their employers. While California is an at-will employment state, employers are still bound by state and federal statutes. They may violate the rights of workers by wrongfully terminating them for inappropriate reasons. Such circumstances may lead to employment litigation.
What circumstances allow employees to assert that a company illegally fired them?
Discriminatory terminations
Sometimes, companies fire workers who request medical accommodations. Other times, employees who routinely ask for Sundays and holidays off to attend religious services could face discrimination because of their faith.
Targeted terminations that begin because of protected characteristics may constitute discrimination. Workers laid off in a mass termination could also allege discrimination if members of one particular group are more likely than other employees to lose their jobs.
Retaliatory terminations
Just as the government protects certain characteristics to prevent discrimination, there are also laws protecting certain workplace actions. Employees can request unpaid leave for medical issues. They can report safety concerns or injuries. They have the right to unionize and to discuss their working conditions with one another.
Employers sometimes target workers after they report sexual harassment or otherwise make use of their legal employment rights. In such cases, workers may have grounds to assert that their terminations were retaliatory.
When employers fire workers for illegal reasons, those employers may have grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit. Taking legal action can lead to reinstatement to a job or to financial compensation based on the harm caused by the termination.