Los Angeles, CA - November, 2019 – An employment termination is tough for the person being terminated, especially if it is a case of wrongful termination. The terminated employee may be the only earning member of their family and anxiety about whether or not they would be able to find a new job soon may adversely affect their mental and physical health. However, not all terminations are wrongful terminations under the law.

California follows employment-at-will, which means employers can fire employees for any reason that is not forbidden by law or an employment contract. Hence, employers can’t fire employees for reasons prohibited by equal employment opportunity law. Equal employment opportunity laws prohibit employers from terminating an employee on the basis of their race, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy status or other prohibited reasons.

If you suspect they you or a loved one has been discharged for a prohibited reason, check whether there is any direct evidence to prove the discriminatory reason. If yes, you may have a strong case for wrongful termination. An example of direct evidence is a statement from the employer that could show that the termination was done because of the prohibited reason.

Even if you do not have any direct evidence, you may have circumstantial evidence of the said discrimination. Circumstantial evidence can be used in court to try to prove that the termination was wrongful. Examples of circumstantial evidence include only female employees being laid off, or if an employee is fired after the employer learnt about their religion or sexual orientation.

There are many other aspects of the case that can act as evidence of wrongful termination. For example, differential treatment of employees on the basis of their race, sex, religion, age or other protected characteristic. If an employer routinely terminates older workers when they are late, but this is not the case with the younger workers, this may also serve as evidence of discrimination.

You do not have to fight alone. Regardless of whether you have direct or circumstantial evidence, it is best to consult an experienced wrongful termination attorney about your case. An experienced attorney or lawyer can help you understand whether you qualify for wrongful termination and your options. Since the law is not easy for everyone to navigate and your employer may have a team of lawyers with them to disprove your case, it is best to have a legal expert on your side.

To learn more, consult one of the wrongful termination or employment discrimination lawyers in San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA at Chahbazi Law PLLC or call 602-282-5868 Now! Attorney Meenoo Chahbazi uses her extensive experience and passion for employment equality to represent Arizona employees in a wide range of employment matters.