Does one of these wrongful termination scenarios sound familiar?

Having a job is an important part of most people’s lives. You may have landed your dream job at a young age, or you may just have a job that gets the bills paid, and that is all you ask for. Of course, in either case, if you lose that job, you could face a number of serious setbacks.

You may have recently found yourself face-to-face with your employer, and maybe a witness, and learned that your boss intended to fire you. You may have understandably felt flabbergasted and wondered what brought on the sudden termination, though you may have had a sick inkling that your employer simply wanted you gone.

Was your termination illegal?

Because California is an at-will state, it is possible for employers to fire workers without having a specific reason. However, not all employment is at-will, and you may have held a position that did not allow for termination without reason. If your employer did fire you without a just cause, it may constitute wrongful termination. Other scenarios that could indicate your employer illegally fired you include the following:

• Your employer retaliated against you for filing a complaint about harmful or illegal actions in the workplace, for participating in an investigation at work, for making a workers’ compensation claim or for participating in another protected activity.
• Your employer suspected that you had a higher risk for diseases based on your medical history and terminated your employment for that reason.
• Your employer fired you because you discussed labor issues or problems in the workplace with your coworkers, and intended to take action to change harmful or unfair conditions.
• Your employer dismissed you from your job because of your race, religion, national origin, age, gender or another protected characteristic.

It can certainly feel shocking and disheartening to lose a job without just reason. Fortunately, if you believe your employer illegally fired you, you may be able to take legal action.

Filing a legal claim

Certain laws protect workers against wrongful termination, and if you believe this has happened to you, you may want to gain information on your available options. An experienced employment law attorney can assess the circumstances of your dismissal, answer any questions you have, explain your options for addressing the wrongdoing you faced and help you follow through with any legal actions suited to your ordeal.