Unexpected job loss can leave people without basic income and struggling to support themselves. They may have a difficult time finding new work while they are unemployed.
Workers who lose their jobs unexpectedly can sometimes hold their employers accountable if the company broke the law or violated their rights. If a company fires a worker for an inappropriate or illegal reason, the affected worker may have the option of filing a wrongful termination lawsuit.
However, state statutes can potentially limit the right to litigate. At-will employment laws permit businesses to end work arrangements for any lawful reason or without providing a specific reason to the worker at all. Does California have an at-will employment statute?
At-will employment rules are subject to limitations
Technically, California is an at-will employment state. Workers can quit their jobs without giving notice and do not need to fear consequences for doing so. Companies can generally end working arrangements without providing advance notice to the employee.
At-will employment laws do not give companies the right to fire workers as an act of retaliation for engaging in protected work activities. Additionally, companies cannot terminate employees because of their protected characteristics, as that constitutes discrimination.
Legal standards in California also allow employers and workers to add terms to contracts that require just cause for termination. Such contract inclusions can protect workers’ job stability and make companies accountable for terminating them without an appropriate reason.
Workers who believe they may have lost their jobs unfairly could potentially have legal options available to them. Filing a wrongful termination lawsuit can sometimes lead to reinstatement or compensation for lost wages, even though California currently has an at-will employment law.