It’s a terrible and traumatic feeling: You’re called into the workplace office and terminated, even though you did nothing wrong.

Your livelihood, your career and your future now seem to hang by a precarious thread. And the worst part is the unjust nature of it all.

Fortunately, California has laws to protect victims from scenarios such as these. With a good litigation lawyer, you can exercise your legal rights and earn compensation due to a wrongful firing.

Wrongful Termination 101

In California, as in most states, most employees work “at will.” This means they can be let go at any time and without any notice. However, California and other states have decreed that there are some reasons for termination that are illegal and grounds for a wrongful termination suit. The following are three of the main exceptions to “at will” employment:

1. If you have an existing contract that requires you to hold employment for a specified period of time, you may not be terminated unless fired “for cause.”
2. You may not be dismissed on the grounds of age, sex, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, medical or marital conditions etc. These are referred to as “protected classes.”
3. You may not be fired for filing a discrimination or harassment claim or complaining about illegal wages or working conditions. Termination, demotion or other punishments in such cases are referred to as “retaliation” and are expressly forbidden. You may also not be fired for refusing to perform an illegal task or exercising a legal right.

What to Do if You’re the Victim of Wrongful Discrimination?

If you’ve been victimized by an illegal termination, it is important to hire an attorney with knowledge and experience. Craig Charles has successfully defended several wrongfully fired clients based on sexual orientation within the LGBTQ community. If you are the victim of a wrongful termination, contact the Law Office of Craig Charles immediately for a free, no cost, no obligation consultation. The Law Office of Craig Charles will fight to help ensure that you receive all the compensation to which you’re fairly entitled. Our office is located in West Hollywood. Call us at 424-343-0660 today.