Did you recently lose your job as a dental assistant and feel that your termination was unlawful? Do you suspect that you were fired for an illegal reason? If so, you should seek help immediately from a wrongful termination lawyer in Long Beach. You may have grounds to seek restitution from your employer by filing an employment claim or lawsuit.
If you are a dental assistant in Long Beach who lost their job, you may have questions about your rights and legal options. The attorneys of California Labor Employment Attorneys Group are ready to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have decades of experience with labor law violation cases and know what it takes to achieve positive results in a wrongful termination lawsuit. Please contact us immediately to talk about your situation with a member of our legal team.
Employment Laws on Wrongful Termination
A wrongful termination occurs when someone is fired from their job for reasons that go against federal or California labor laws. Typically, the termination has to do with one or both of the following issues: discrimination and retaliation. With many cases, these two elements go hand in hand. For example, a dental assistant complains to clinic administrators about harassment, offensive jokes, and other discriminatory conduct by one of the dentists. The clinic does very little to help her, and the toxic treatment continues until the assistant says she will file a labor board complaint if nothing is done. Weeks later, she is told that her work performance has fallen below acceptable standards, and she can no longer work for the practice.
Many laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, prohibit workplace discrimination and retaliatory actions.by the employer. California has its own set of laws that protect workers from adverse employment decisions, like wrongful termination (the Fair Employment and Housing Act). Both of these laws make it illegal for employers to fire workers on the basis of protected characteristics like religion, race, disability, age, and sex.
What can I Do if I was Wrongfully Terminated?
After you are fired from your job in Long Beach, it may seem like there is nothing you can do beyond finding new employment and moving forward with your life. However, you may have the option of filing a lawsuit against your employer if you were wrongfully terminated. The legal process for wrongful termination cases begins at the state or federal level. Here are the two courses of action you can explore with a Long Beach wrongful termination attorney:
- If your termination constitutes a violation of federal laws, you can file a wrongful termination complaint with the Fair Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
- If you want to report your employer for violating California laws regarding wrongful termination, you can file a claim with the Civil Rights Department (CRD).
The corresponding agency will review the information in your claim and take various actions to determine if your employer violated one or more statutes. Afterwards, they may penalize the employer and order them to make policy changes and compensate you for up to a certain amount of lost wages.
Alternatively, the EEOC or CRD will give you a Right to Sue letter so that you can file a lawsuit on your own. This type of legal action allows you to ask for monetary damages, which we will cover in the next section.
Compensation Recovered from a Wrongful Termination Lawsuit
You were given permission to go ahead with a lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the California Civil Rights Department. Once you determine that suing your employer is right for you, it’s essential to understand the payments that are available to you as a victim of wrongful termination. However, most employees have never taken any kind of legal action against their employer, so they have no idea of what can be recovered in a lawsuit for illegal termination.
An experienced employment lawyer at our office can talk to you about which of these damages you are entitled to and how much you can receive in compensation:
- Back and front pay (lost wages)
- Lost work-related benefits (healthcare, retirement contributions, stock options, etc.)
- Pain and suffering for emotional distress and associated mental health issues
- Punitive damages (must be awarded by a jury and only applies in cases of gross negligence or deliberate misconduct)
Wrongful Termination Claim Deadlines
Once you determine that you have a case against your employer for compensation, you must also ensure that a claim or lawsuit is filed within the statute of limitations. Basically, you have a limited amount of time to seek justice if your job was taken away from you unlawfully. Employment claims in California are governed by the following deadlines:
- You have 1 year to file a claim for discrimination or retaliation with the Civil Rights Department (CRD).
- Once a Right to Sue notice is sent to you by the CRD, you have 1 year to file a wrongful termination lawsuit.
- All complaints for wrongful termination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must be filed no later than 300 days from the violation date if you are a California employee.
- Upon receiving a Right to Sue letter from the EECO, you must file a lawsuit within 90 days.
It can be difficult to manage the various timelines and other tasks associated with a wrongful termination case. Let us take the burden off your shoulders and fight to bring you the highest possible settlement. Call the offices of California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group today for help with all your questions and concerns.
Contact Our Law Firm Today
Losing your job for illegal reasons can happen to anyone, even dental assistants working for highly successful practices. You may feel powerless when your job is taken away from you, but the law offers options for those who are wrongfully terminated. We can help you understand your rights and take action to recover the losses you suffered through no fault of your own.
We take all cases on contingency under a policy known as the Zero Fee Guarantee. You do not pay anything if you wish to retain our services, as the only payment owed to us is a percentage of your settlement. So, if we fail to obtain compensation on your behalf, you pay nothing in legal fees and walk away without losing a penny.
Please take a moment to reach out and schedule a free case review if you are a wrongfully terminated dental assistant in Long Beach, CA.
