Discrimination & Wrongful Termination Attorneys

California Is an At-Will State, with Major Exceptions

"At-will" means an employer can generally fire you for any reason, or no reason at all. But it does not mean they can fire you for an illegal reason. Federal and California law prohibit termination, demotion, or unequal treatment based on protected characteristics, and California's protections go well beyond federal law.

If you lost your job soon after disclosing a pregnancy, requesting an accommodation, taking medical leave, reporting harassment, or hitting a certain age, and your employer's explanation doesn't add up, there's a strong chance you have a real case.

Protected Categories Under FEHA

• Race, color, national origin, and ancestry
• Religion and religious dress/grooming
• Sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation
• Pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions
• Age (40 and older)
• Disability, physical or mental, and medical conditions
• Marital status, military or veteran status
• Reporting harassment, discrimination, safety violations, or wage theft (retaliation)

Common Patterns We See

Discrimination cases rarely look like a slur shouted across the room. They look like: a sudden write-up after years of strong reviews, being passed over for a promotion that went to a less-qualified employee, accommodations being "approved" but never actually provided, an older worker being pushed out via a reorganization, or a pregnant employee being told her position is being "restructured."

Our job is to gather the evidence, line it up against your employer's stated reasons, and show the jury or the agency exactly what really happened.

Time Limits Matter

You generally have three years from the discriminatory act to file with California's Civil Rights Department. Federal claims (EEOC) usually require filing within 300 days. Severance agreements often shorten those windows further. The sooner you talk to a lawyer, the more options you have.

What to Do If You Suspect Discrimination at Work

California is an at-will employment state, but at-will does not mean unlimited. Employers cannot fire, demote, or discipline an employee based on race, gender, age over 40, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, or several other protected categories. If you suspect any of these are driving your treatment at work, the first 30 days matter most.

1. Document everything in writing. Performance reviews, emails, written warnings, and comparator data on how other employees are treated.
2. Save copies at home. Forward key emails and documents to a personal address before you lose access.
3. Identify the comparators. Note who was treated better, who got the promotion, who was not disciplined for similar conduct.
4. Report internally before quitting. File a written complaint with HR or your manager's supervisor. Internal reporting strengthens retaliation claims.
5. Talk to a lawyer before signing a severance. Severance agreements almost always waive your right to sue. Once signed, your case is over.

Damages in California Wrongful Termination Cases

FEHA and federal law provide strong remedies for discrimination and wrongful termination victims. The components of a settlement or verdict include:

• Lost wages and benefits, including back pay from the date of termination and front pay for future losses.
• Emotional distress damages, including for anxiety, depression, sleep loss, and damage to professional reputation.
• Punitive damages when the conduct was malicious, oppressive, or fraudulent.
• Attorneys' fees and costs, recoverable by prevailing employees under FEHA and federal civil rights statutes.
• Reinstatement and equitable relief, including injunctions, policy changes, and required training.

How We Prove Discrimination

Most modern discrimination is not announced out loud. The proof comes from patterns, comparators, and the gap between stated reasons and actual treatment.

• Comparator evidence. Other employees outside your protected group who did the same thing but were treated differently.
• Statistical patterns. Who gets promoted, who gets disciplined, who gets the layoff, broken down by age, race, gender, or disability status.
• Shifting reasons. When the employer's stated reason for firing changes between the termination meeting, the EEOC response, and the deposition, that inconsistency is evidence of pretext.
• Stray comments. Ageist, sexist, or racially coded language captured in emails, Slack messages, or witness statements.
• Timing. Adverse action that closely follows a protected activity, a complaint, a request for accommodation, a medical leave, can establish a retaliation claim.

Deadlines and Why They Matter in Los Angeles

For FEHA claims, California gives you three years from the discriminatory act to file with the Civil Rights Department, plus one year after the right-to-sue letter to file in court. Federal claims under Title VII or the ADA must be filed with the EEOC within 300 days. Public employees and contractors with state and county entities face shorter notice deadlines, often as short as six months.

Los Angeles and Glendale have some of the most active employment courts in the country. The judges expect cases to be prepared, the defense bar is sophisticated, and the timelines move faster than in many other counties. We handle discrimination and wrongful termination cases in English, Spanish, and Armenian, and we move quickly to preserve evidence and meet every deadline.