
Even though California is an at-will employment state, it doesn’t mean you can be fired for any reason. If you were exercising your legal rights as a California employee and were fired because of it, you may be able to open a legal case against your employer. Seek counsel from a Glendale wrongful termination lawyer to understand the next steps in your case.
Esperanza Anderson es un Glendale employment lawyer and has fought tirelessly to recover over $15 million in settlements for her clients. When you choose nuestra empresa, you’re choosing an attorney who takes injustices personally and who won’t back down from a tough battle with large companies. New clients get to work directly and exclusively with Ms. Anderson throughout the entirety of their case.
Her goal is to help you feel heard, validated, and protected during every stage of legal proceedings. We offer free and private consultations to new clients living in Glendale and surrounding California towns.
In 2024, the most common careers for residents of Glendale included management occupations, office and administrative support occupations, and sales and related occupations. Well-known companies in and near Glendale include IHOP Corporation, The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Imagineering, and DreamWorks Animation.
Regardless of which industry you work in, employees in California all have rights. You cannot be fired for:
Those who have experienced discrimination or harassment in the workplace, or similar violations, can file a complaint with the Civil Rights Department. In 2023, there were 775 employment claims filed with California’s Civil Rights Department by Los Angeles County workers. That same year, the Civil Rights Department recovered $116,506,424 for workers in the state who filed a claim.
If you’ve been fired for exercising your rights, you have legal options. You typically have one year from the date of the firing to file a complaint at your local Labor Commissioner’s office. For workers in Glendale, this office is located at either 320 West Fourth Street in Los Angeles or at 6150 Van Nuys Boulevard in Van Nuys.
When pursuing a case against your employer for wrongful termination, you need to hire a wrongful termination lawyer to advocate on your behalf and protect your rights.
It can be tricky to prove that your firing was a direct link to your protected act. You and your attorney can collect evidence to show the Labor Commissioner that you were wrongfully terminated. Depending on the protected act you exercised, this evidence can include:
You cannot be fired for reporting workplace harassment or workplace violations. If you are, it is considered wrongful termination, and you may be able to pursue a case against your employer. However, because California is an at-will employment state, meaning that employers don‘t need specific reasons to terminate workers, it can be difficult to prove your termination was wrongful. An experienced attorney can help explain your legal rights and options in your specific situation.
A Glendale wrongful termination attorney can help you during every stage of your legal case. They can listen to the details of your situation, explain your legal rights, offer their professional opinion about the right legal option to take, help you file paperwork within the proper legal deadlines, help you preserve relevant case evidence, represent you during negotiation meetings, and advocate for you in a potential trial. Having a lawyer on your side adds a necessary layer of protection.
You cannot be fired for taking medical leave in California, as long as you follow the official process of taking time off. Under the California Family Rights Act, you can take off up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per calendar year for personal medical reasons, to care for an ill family member, or to bond with a new child. However, this act only protects workers who work at a company with five or more employees.
Some other examples of retaliation in the workplace in California can include being bullied, teased, called names, ignored, isolated, intentionally left out of work obligations and meetings, sexually harassed, discriminated against, having your work unfairly criticized, being demoted, having your hours or wages reduced or altered without good reason, being denied a promotion or job transfer, and more. Since every situation is different, you should seek legal counsel to understand your options.


If you or someone you love has had their rights as a California worker violated, contact Esperanza Anderson to schedule a free consultation with Ms. Anderson. Our office is located in Pasadena, part of Los Angeles County. For clients who feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish, we offer bilingual legal services.
Ms. Anderson represents workers throughout California and helps empower them to take on their cases with confidence.