Can my employer fire me because I complained about illegal practices at the workplace?
California is an at-will employment state. This means that generally an employer can terminate an employee at any time without warning, as long as the termination is legal. However, there are several exceptions to the rule of at will employment. If the termination of an employee occurs in violation of public policy, then the employee has the right to sue the employer for violation of public policy and the termination is wrongful. Our team of dedicated attorneys are happy to help you and examine whether the termination is in violation of public policy.
Whistleblower retaliation would protect:
According to California law, the following situations are considered to be protected by the whistleblower statutes:
- An employee who reports suspected criminal activity by her employer to a government or law enforcement agency;
- An employee who reports a suspected violation of a law or regulation to a supervisor or other person at the employer who has the authority to investigate the violation;
- An employee who reports California wage/hour law or other labor law violations;
- A public employee who reports economically wasteful, incompetent or inefficient activity to the California State Auditor.
If an employer retaliates against an employee who has complained about any of the above mentioned issues, then the termination is in violation of public policy.
If you think that your employer is violating the law, and you report the illegal violation or activities, then the employer cannot retaliate by firing you or treating you adversely. This would be considered as retaliation. Call our offices today to discuss any retaliations that you have suffered as a result of reporting any illegal activities to your employer. If your employer pressures you to commit illegal activities and you are fired because of your resistance to participate, then feel free to contact our team of attorneys.
