Getting fired can be one of the most challenging times of your life, but especially during our current economy, it can be immensely stressful.

3 Things to Look for If You Believe You Were Wrongfully Terminated

During such unprecedented times caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic, losing your job is one of the last things you want to be worrying about along with your family’s health and safety.

However, despite the fact that so many people are struggling during the pandemic, business owners and employers will still make illegal employment decisions. If you’ve lost your job, it’s possible that you were wrongfully terminated.

Wrongful termination is a serious problem in today’s workforce, and it’s more common than you’d think. In fact, wrongful termination is such a problem in our country that there is an entire department of the U.S. government dedicated to the problem. This department is called the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The experienced wrongful termination attorneys at Bibiyan Law Group are committed to standing by your side and protecting your rights as an employee. If you believe you were wrongfully terminated, read below to see how a California employment attorney can help you.

What Signs Should I Look For if I Believe I Was Wrongfully Terminated?

There are some specific signs that you should look for if you think you were wrongfully terminated. In many cases, employers have policies that outline the firing process, including steps that must be taken before resulting in firing an employee.

If this process wasn’t followed in the case of your firing, this can be a sign that you were wrongfully terminated.

Another example of wrongful termination is if your employer makes a breach of the covenant good faith and fair dealing. One example of a potential breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing is if your employer fires you so that it can avoid paying you a bonus to which you are entitled if you remain employed.

Both of these examples and beyond serve as signs that you have been wrongfully terminated. If something doesn’t feel right about the circumstances surrounding your firing, it’s possible that you were wrongfully terminated and should consult an attorney.

Tip #1: Working At-Will Is Not an Excuse for Firing an Employee

In California, employees work at will because California is an at-will state. Essentially, this means that your employer can let you go for any reason they want, or even no reason at all whenever they choose. But there are still exceptions.

There are laws and regulations in place in California to protect employees from being fired as a result of discrimination. Examples of this include but are not limited to:

• Your employer cannot fire you due to your age, race, or gender
• Your employer cannot fire you as retaliation for reporting illegal business practices
• You cannot be fired because you were sexually harassed, and your employer is concerned about you reporting them
• You cannot be fired in a way that violates your implied or existing employee contract

Laws in California like these protect individuals from being wrongfully terminated by their employers. Even if you live in an at-will state, you have every right to ensure that you were not wrongfully terminated because of discrimination.

Tip #2: Contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or Department of Fair Employment and Housing

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and its California equivalent, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing) are incredible resources for you if you believe you were wrongfully terminated.

It’s important to remember that there are federal laws that outline a specific timeline you must follow if you wish to successfully file a suit against your employer, as well as California laws that are often even more protective of employees.

Often, you have to obtain a Right to Sue Notice from the EEOC or DFEH in a timely manner before filing a civil lawsuit.  You can decide to file a case of wrongful termination yourself, or you can have an attorney from Bibiyan Law Group file your case for you.

However, most importantly, if you believe you were wrongfully terminated, you should not wait because your claim may be time-barred.

Tip #3: Hire Experienced Attorneys to Represent You

Our final and arguably most important tip is to hire experienced attorneys who can help build a strong case on your behalf. It can be very challenging to prove a case of wrongful termination because oftentimes there is not a lot of concrete evidence that points to retaliation or discrimination.

At Bibiyan Law Group, we have handled dozens of wrongful termination cases, so we know the challenges associated with representing you in these cases.

We are especially skilled in building strong cases that are likely to win in court, and we are committed to standing by your side every step of the way. If you win your case, the damages you receive include:

• Compensation for lost wages
• Damages for pain and suffering
• Punitive damages
• Attorney fees and court costs

If You Believe You Were Wrongfully Terminated, Speak with an Employment Attorney Today.

It can be incredibly challenging to understand the complexities of proving a wrongful termination case. Especially during uncertain times like a pandemic, it can be especially challenging to prove that you were wrongfully terminated.

So many people have been laid off as a result of the pandemic, and it can be easy for employers to argue that that’s why you were fired, too. That’s why it takes skilled attorneys like the ones here at Bibiyan Law Group to represent your case.

Don’t wait before it’s too late to file your claim with the EEOC or DFEH, or to bring your claim to Court. If you believe you were wrongfully terminated, you deserve justice, and your employer should be held accountable.

If you think it’s possible that you were wrongfully terminated, make sure to contact a wrongful termination attorney in California right away.