Employers must abide by laws and regulations to let an employee go. If not, these businesses commit wrongful termination.
Did your employer recently dismiss you? Let’s fight back. We want to hear your story. Contact Melmed Law Group, a wrongful termination law firm in Los Angeles, today for a free consultation.
Understanding Wrongful Termination
If you're like most people, you begin a new job to perform well in your role. Additionally, you likely seek the stability and opportunities for advancement that accompany long-term employment. Unfortunately, nothing dashes your hopes faster than wrongful termination.
California operates under the principle of at-will employment. This allows employers in the state to terminate an employee without advance notice and for any cause. However, California workers have protections. These protections prohibit the firing of an employee for utilizing their legal rights or reporting a business-related concern to the public.
Did an employer treat you unjustly? Contact a wrongful termination lawyer in Los Angeles.
When It’s Time to Contact a Los Angeles Wrongful Termination Law Firm
Feeling confused about whether your termination was legal or not is understandable. If you suspect any of the following, contact our law firm:
- Discrimination: Companies can’t fire an employee for their gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, religious beliefs, being pregnant, or for other protected reasons.
- Taking Time Off: Employees need time off. Sometimes, a worker will use their available time off to tend to familial situations and emergencies. Employers who punish workers for taking allowed Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time off can be guilty of a wrongful termination.
- Contract Violations: Most companies have employees sign contracts. Your employer may have violated this contract when letting you go. Contact a wrongful termination lawyer in Los Angeles for help going over your former contract.
- Retaliation: Whistleblowers report illegal business activities; it’s illegal to retaliate against whistleblowers by firing them.
- Constructive Dismissal: What if you didn’t get fired? Some employers make a targeted employee’s work life so miserable they quit their jobs. Constructive dismissal can still qualify as a wrongful dismissal.
Damages Recovered From Wrongful Termination Lawsuits
It’s rare for two wrongful termination cases to be the same. However, most of these cases involve wronged employees understandably seeking damages. But what are the damages? How do they work in an unjust termination case? Let a wrongful termination lawyer in Los Angeles explain.
Common damages sought in wrongful termination cases can include:
- Back Pay: Wages lost from when an employee was let go to a settlement or trial date.
- Benefit-Related Compensation: Payment for lost health insurance benefits, retirement account contributions, and stock-related compensation, if available.
- Loss of Reputation: Recovering the loss of reputation-related compensation helps cover your expenses while dealing with affected future employment opportunities.
Many companies operate with integrity. Unfortunately, other shady businesses assume they can get away with wrongfully terminating employees.Contact a wrongful termination lawyer in Los Angeles, CA. Stand up to your former employer. To schedule a free consultation, contact us today.