San Diego Wrongful Termination Lawyer
Generally, the employer-employee relationship is governed by agreement between the parties. An employer decides what kind of skills they need for their business, and employees can decide what kind of work they want to do. When an employer no longer has need for the services of an employee, they are free to terminate the employee’s employment. Likewise, when an employee no longer wishes to continue working for a certain employer, they are also free to leave that employment. Employers have the right to establish policies and rules for their employees and employees are required to abide by those rules to keep their employment.
While this is how things generally work, there are exceptions to this freedom of the employer to exercise control over their employees. For public policy reasons, the law steps in to prohibit employers from taking certain employment actions. These prohibited employer actions are typically for the protection of a class of persons in society against discrimination. Employers are also prohibited from directing their employees to engage in unlawful actions. When an employee’s employment is terminated for an unlawful reason in violation of federal and state laws, or in breach of their employment contract, the employee might be a victim of a wrongful termination claim. If you have been wrongfully terminated, you need a wrongful termination lawyer to help you understand your rights and legal options.
At Coyle Browne Law, we have a passion for getting justice for victims of adverse employment actions including wrongful terminations. We have secured six- and seven-figure settlements for our clients in wrongful termination cases. Our San Diego wrongful termination lawyers aggressively pursue the interests of our clients to get the justice they deserve. We are open and honest with all our clients, and communicate frankly with our clients about their case and any questions they may have. At Coyle Browne Law, our employment lawyers only represent not corporations or employers. Our focus is on using our diverse experience to uplift the victims of injustices and get justice for them.
Not all employer actions are unlawful. Employers have the right to decisions in the interest of their business, and they may include employee terminations. If you have been terminated by your employer, you may question whether the termination is wrongful or not. A wrongful termination attorney can assess the facts of your case and determine whether you have grounds to sustain a wrongful termination claim. The San Diego employment law attorneys at Coyle Browne Law we offer free consultations to investigate and determine what your legal position is and whether we can represent you. To get the best out of your free consultation, it is helpful if you have the specific facts leading up to your termination. Any records of work incidents, including the names and contact information of the persons involved either as defendants or witnesses.
In California, all employment is presumed to be at-will. An employer can terminate an employee for no reason at all, or even an unfair reason, as long as the termination is not based on retaliation or discrimination. The employer does not have to justify their decision as long as the termination was not discriminatory or retaliatory.
Although all employment in California is presumed to be at-will, there are exceptions to this general rule. These exceptions include violation of company policy, violation of law, and violation of public policy.
Generally, wrongful terminations fall into three broad categories: breach of contract, discrimination, and retaliation or violation of public policy.
Most employment contracts in California are “at-will” agreements, which means that either party is free to terminate the employment at any time for any reason. There are some employment relationships that are based on contractual agreements with specific provisions for the term of the employment and other matters related to the employment. When an employment contract specifies the term or duration of the employment, the employer may not terminate the employment before the term without good cause. In the employment context, a good cause would be the employee’s continued failure to perform their duties or a breach of one of the terms of their contract. If you think you have been terminated in breach of your employment contract, you should speak to a wrongful termination lawyer who can review the terms of your contract and make a determination about your chances in a wrongful termination case.
There are classes of people who are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act. Persons having protected characteristics such as race, gender, age, disability, or medical condition are prohibited from being terminated for reason of their protected characteristic. If you are a member of a protected class of persons and your employment was terminated because of that, a wrongful termination lawyer can help you understand your rights and take legal action.
Retaliation is another common type of wrongful termination cases. Sometimes, when employees exercise their rights by engaging in protected activities, employers retaliate by taking adverse employment actions against them. Some actions employers retaliate against include:
If you believe that you were wrongfully terminated due to discriminatory actions, the workplace discrimination lawyers at Coyle Browne, PLC will help you fight for justice in your workplace.
If you have been wrongfully terminated, you need to contact a San Diego wrongful termination attorney as soon as possible. Coyle Browne Law offers free consultations and if you have a valid wrongful termination case, we will represent you on a contingency fee basis so you do not have to worry about legal fees unless we win. Call us today at 800-421-2594 or email team@coylebrownelaw.com to schedule your free consultation.
Free consultation by a lawyer. If we can take your case, there are no up front costs or fees.
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