Were you terminated from your job for a reason that may be in violation of state or federal labor laws? Were you fired because of discrimination against your race, religion, pregnancy status or some another protected characteristic? If so, you may be a victim of wrongful termination, meaning that your employer broke one or more employment laws by taking away your job. As someone who lost their job unlawfully, you must seek legal advice from a lawyer that specializes in wrongful termination by California employers.
Are you looking for an employment lawyer in Torrance that can advise you on what to do if you were wrongfully terminated? Our team of wrongful termination lawyers can help you navigate the legal system and secure the restitution you deserve by law. Contact the offices of California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group and talk to one of our legal experts, completely free of charge.
Laws Prohibiting Wrongful Termination
Employees should have a general understanding of federal and state laws that protect them from unfair treatment in the workplace. Many laws uphold an employee’s right to work in an environment that’s free of discrimination. Workers are also protected from retaliation if they assert their employment rights, whether it’s asking for disability accommodations or filing a Human Resources complaint. Legal statutes you that you should be aware of include:
- The Fair Employment and Housing Act (California law)
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (federal law)
These and other statutes make it illegal for your employer to fire you on the basis of a protected characteristic, like race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, pregnancy, age, and citizenship status. If you suspect that you are a victim of wrongful termination, contact our law firm as soon as possible. A Torrance wrongful termination attorney can verify your eligibility for a legal case and the steps you can take to hold your employer accountable.
Taking Action against Your Employer
Being fired for an unlawful reason gives you the right to report your employer to one of two government agencies:
- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (federal entity)
- The Civil Rights Department of California
Both entities perform similar functions in terms of investigating wrongful termination cases and other complaints based on discrimination and retaliation by the employer. But the EEOC deals with claims that have to do with violations of federal labor laws, while the CRD handles cases involving employment laws in California. A wrongful termination lawyer in Torrance can help you take action with the appropriate agency and prepare you for what will happen once your claim is reviewed.
Please note that you are bound by a time limit on how long you have for a wrongful termination complaint. Claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must be filed within 300 days of when you lost your job (as long as you are a California employee). If you are reporting your employer to the California Civil Rights Department, the statute of limitations is 1 year from the date of termination.
Legal Basis to Sue Your Employer
In the previous section, we talked about your right to file a formal complaint against your employer if you suspect that your termination was unlawful. However, you may have one other option under the law – filing a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Your right to sue your employer depends on how the EEOC or CRD responds to your complaint. These agencies may penalize your employer on their own if there is credible evidence of wrongdoing. On the other hand, they may decide that allowing you to proceed with a lawsuit is the best course of action. In these instances, the claimant will receive a Right to Sue letter from the applicable agency. Once you have this document, you can petition the civil court system for monetary damages. Please keep in mind, however, that lawsuits must be filed no later than 90 days from the issuance of a Right to Sue notice from the EEOC. If you received such a notice from the CRD, you have 1 year to initiate a lawsuit for wrongful termination.
Monetary Restitution from a Wrongful Termination Claim
Depending on the details of what happened between you and your employer, you may have the right to seek monetary damages from a wrongful termination complaint. But what are the specific payments you can recover? The answer is somewhat different from one person to another, but as someone who is wrongfully terminated, here are the possible categories of compensation:
- Wages and other forms of income that you lost because of being fired illegally
- Value of work benefits that were lost as a result of wrongful termination
- Pain and suffering as compensation for emotional distress / mental health issues
- Punitive damages that may be awarded by the jury in wrongful termination cases that go to trial
For more information on the damages you are eligible to receive from an employment rights violation claim, don’t hesitate to give us a call. It’s essential to have a full understanding of your legal rights when you are going up against an employer that took away your job. The victim is typically at a disadvantage in these situations, but you can even the score by working with a skilled wrongful termination lawyer, which you will find here at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group.
Help for Those Who are Wrongfully Terminated
Our law firm is here to educate you on your rights and legal options if you were wrongfully terminated by a California employer. You can reach out to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and know that you are getting advice from a legal team with decades of experience in labor law violation claims.
If you are interested in pursuing a legal action against your employer, we will take your case on a contingency basis. This will allow you to pay $0 upfront, since we only get paid by recovering your settlement. You are also covered by the Zero Fee Guarantee, so you owe us $0 if you do not get paid from a wrongful termination claim.
Since there is nothing to lose, why not take the chance of contacting us and scheduling a free case review? We look forward to hearing from you and fighting for the compensation you deserve.
