California Wrongful Termination Lawyers

Wrongful Termination Is Illegal. We Hold Employers Accountable.

Losing your job is hard enough. Losing it because your employer broke the law is something else entirely. California has some of the strongest employee protections in the country, but those protections only matter if someone enforces them.

At Nosrati Law, we represent employees across Southern California who have been wrongfully terminated due to discrimination, retaliation, harassment, or violations of state and federal law. We work exclusively on behalf of employees and handle every case on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs and no fees unless we win your case.

Losing your job under suspicious circumstances is worth a second look. Employers count on employees not knowing their rights, but our wrongful termination attorneys in California can help you fight back.

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Why Employees Across California Trust Nosrati Law

• We've won millions for California workers who were illegally fired
• We have decades of experience handling wrongful termination cases
• We only represent employees, never employers or corporations
• We don't charge any fees unless we win your wrongful termination case
• Our team is backed by more than 100 five-star reviews on Google
• We've taken on companies like Disney, Netflix, and Robinhood

Unlawfully Fired? We Get Results.

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Representing Employees Across California

Nosrati Law represents employees across Southern California and beyond, including:

What Is Considered Wrongful Termination in California?

Wrongful termination occurs when an employer fires an employee for a reason that violates state or federal law. California is an at-will employment state, which means employers can generally terminate employees at any time and for any reason, but that flexibility has real limits. When a termination crosses a legal line, employees have the right to fight back.

When Can You Sue an Employer for Firing You?

Grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit in California may include:

• Discrimination. Employers cannot fire an employee based on a protected characteristic such as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, pregnancy, or marital status. If your termination was motivated, even in part, by who you are rather than how you performed, that may be unlawful discrimination.
• Retaliation. Employees who exercise a protected right, such as reporting harassment or discrimination, filing a wage complaint, requesting leave, or refusing to participate in illegal conduct, are protected from retaliation. Firing an employee because they spoke up or asserted their rights is one of the most common forms of wrongful termination we see.
• Violation of leave rights. You have a legal right to take medical, family, pregnancy, and bereavement leave under California and federal law. Terminating an employee for requesting or taking legally protected leave is unlawful, regardless of how the employer frames the reason.
• Denial of reasonable accommodations. Employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations for disability, pregnancy, and certain medical conditions. Firing an employee for requesting an accommodation, or in place of providing one, can constitute wrongful termination.
• Violation of public policy. California law prohibits terminating employees for reasons that violate public policy, such as reporting unsafe working conditions, refusing to commit an illegal act, or exercising a legal right. These claims do not require a specific statute to support them.
• Breach of contract. When an employment contract (written, verbal, or implied) limits an employer's ability to terminate at will, firing an employee without cause may constitute a breach of that contract. If your employer promised job security or established termination procedures they failed to follow, that matters.

California Is an "At-Will" State — But That Has Limits

California's at-will employment law gives employers broad authority to hire and fire. But it does not give them unlimited power. Employers cannot terminate employees for unlawful reasons, no matter how they frame the decision.

In practice, wrongful terminations are often disguised. An employer may cite performance issues, restructuring, or a change in business needs while the actual reason is something the law prohibits. At Nosrati Law, we examine the full picture: the timing of the termination, the employee's history, what changed before the firing, and what the employer's own records show.

If an illegal or discriminatory reason was a substantial motivating factor in your termination, even if a legitimate reason also existed, you may have a valid wrongful termination claim.

Can You Be Fired for No Reason in California?

Technically, yes — but only up to a point. 

Under at-will employment, an employer does not need to give a reason for termination. What they cannot do is fire you for an illegal reason. The distinction matters: an employer who gives no reason may simply be exercising at-will authority, but an employer who disguises an unlawful reason as "no reason" or a pretextual one is a different matter entirely.

Wrongful Termination Laws in California

California employees are protected against wrongful termination by an overlapping framework of state and federal laws. Together, they cover a broader range of situations — and more employees — than any single statute alone.

California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)

FEHA is California's primary anti-discrimination law and goes further than federal law in several important ways. It prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, pregnancy, marital status, medical condition, and more. FEHA applies to employers with 5 or more employees and allows employees to recover emotional distress damages and punitive damages in addition to lost wages.

California Labor Code

The Labor Code protects employees from termination for a wide range of activities, including reporting labor law violations, filing wage claims, taking legally protected leave, and refusing to perform illegal acts. Retaliation claims under the Labor Code often run alongside FEHA and wrongful termination claims.

California Family Rights Act (CFRA)

The CFRA entitles eligible employees to up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave per year for qualifying family and medical reasons. As of 2021, CFRA covers employers with 5 or more employees, which is significantly broader than the federal FMLA's 50-employee threshold. Terminating or retaliating against an employee for taking CFRA leave is unlawful.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The federal FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for eligible employees at companies with 50 or more employees. Employees who are fired, demoted, or penalized for taking FMLA leave may have both federal and state claims.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Federal law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees and is enforced through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). California's FEHA typically provides broader protections, but Title VII remains an important parallel avenue.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The ADA prohibits discrimination against employees with qualifying disabilities and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations. California's FEHA disability protections are broader than the ADA and apply to smaller employers. Firing an employee instead of engaging in the interactive accommodation process is a common form of wrongful termination.

Whistleblower Protection Laws

California has some of the strongest whistleblower protections in the country. Under Labor Code Section 1102.5 and related statutes, employees are protected from retaliation for reporting violations of law to a government agency, a supervisor, or in some cases internally. Wrongful termination following a whistleblower complaint is one of the most serious violations we handle.

Public Policy Claims

Even when no specific statute directly covers a situation, California recognizes wrongful termination claims based on violations of public policy. If you were fired for exercising a legal right, reporting illegal conduct, or refusing to participate in wrongdoing, you may have a public policy claim regardless of whether a specific law expressly prohibits the termination.

Speak with a Wrongful Termination Lawyer in California

The sooner you contact an attorney after losing your job, the better your position. Evidence can disappear, deadlines can pass, and memories fade. This is especially true if your employer is pressuring you to sign a severance agreement; once signed, you may be waiving your rights. Before you accept any severance offer, speak with an attorney who can explain your options.

If you were recently fired and have questions about a potential wrongful termination in California, contact Nosrati Law as soon as possible for a free, no-obligation consultation: (323) 784-0643.