Was Your Firing Illegal or Legal?
Wrongful Termination:
Have you recently been fired from your job in California? Did something about your termination seem unfair? If your answer to either or both of these questions is yes, you may have been wrongfully terminated. In today’s blog from the class action attorneys at James Hawkins APLC, we’ll help you determine if your firing was legal or illegal, and what you can do if the latter is true. Contact our law offices in Irvine if you have further questions or to schedule a consultation with one of our qualified attorneys today.
Did You Sign a Written Agreement?
When you started the job from which you were recently terminated, did you sign a written agreement or contract that promised job security? If so, you have a strong argument in your favor that you are not an at-will employee. In most cases like these, an employment contract may state that you can only be fired with good cause or for reasons stated in the contract. Another example may be an offer letter that you received after your initial interview that makes promises about your employment and security in your position.
An at-will employee, on the other hand, can be fired at any time, for any reason. In other words, your employer does not need a good cause to fire you. If you signed an at-will agreement when you began your employment, you may have very limited legal rights to fight your termination.
Did Your Employer Make Verbal Promises?
If you don’t have a written employment contract between you and your employer, all hope is not lost. Employers can make verbal promises or agreements that, although it may be more difficult to prove, can be another exception to the at-will agreement. Many employers are careful not to make promises about continued employment or promotions, however, if you have any significant proof such as emails or conversations in which you were assured longer employment and/or upcoming promotions, you may have a wrongful termination case on your hands.
During a wrongful termination case that doesn’t have a written employment contract, courts will typically look at facts such as the duration of your employment, the regularity of any promotions, your history of positive performance reviews, and more. If you think you may have a case on your hands after being terminated from your job in California, contact our team at James Hawkins APLC right away.
Do you feel like you’ve been wrongfully terminated by your employer?
Has Your Employer Acted Unfairly?
Did your termination seem to come out of nowhere? If you feel like your employer has acted unfairly and your termination took you by surprise, you may have a claim known as a breach of good faith and fair dealing. Oftentimes, courts have found that employers have breached the duty of good faith and fair dealing by firing employees so that they cannot collect their commissions, misleading them about their chances for a promotion or raise, making up reasons for their termination and hiring new employees at lower pay, and other things.
This is an unfortunate situation for any former employee to deal with. If this situation sounds like one that you’ve recently experienced, our team of class action attorneys at James Hawkins APLC can help. We know that you deserve better, and we can help get the compensation that you deserve from an employer that didn’t treat you fairly. Contact our Irvine law office today to schedule your free consultation.
Discrimination, Retaliation, & Fraud
It should come as no surprise that, if you feel that you’ve been wrongfully terminated because of your race, gender, age, religion, or pregnancy, you should talk to a lawyer at James Hawkins APLC right away. This is discrimination, and it is illegal. If you feel like you were terminated as a result of a sexual harassment charge that you filed or another legal complaint, you may have a retaliation case on your hands. Lastly, if your employer made a false representation that you relied on, you have cause for fraud by your employer, another case that can be brought up in a wrongful termination lawsuit.
Our attorneys are well-versed and experienced in wrongful termination lawsuits of every kind. If you feel like you’ve been discriminated or retaliated against, contact us right away.
Call the Law Offices of James Hawkins APLC for a FREE Consultation Today
When it comes to wrongful termination and determining if you have a case against your employer, our attorneys are here to help you understand if you have a case or not and what you can do to get the compensation you deserve. There are a number of reasons that you may file for wrongful termination, whether you feel your contract was breached or you were mistreated, it’s time to find out how we can help. Give us a call at our offices in California to learn more about your situation and how we can help.