In California, the general rule is that employment is “at will” and therefore employers may terminate employees at any time and even for no reason. However, many employers fail to realize that an employee cannot be terminated for illegal reasons pursuant to applicable federal and state employment laws. In particular, California employers are prohibited from discharging employees because of their inclusion in a protected class. Simply put, employers cannot terminate an employee on the basis of age, sex, religion, race, marital status, disability, medical condition, and other protected status.
Employees who suffer discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and ultimately are terminated are entitled to sue their employers for wrongful termination. By initiating a lawsuit, employees are entitled to damages to compensate them for the emotional and financial losses they incur as a result of their wrongful termination.
Subsequent to a wrongful termination, it is imperative for a terminated employee to immediately consult a wrongful termination attorney in order to maximize the potential for recovery of damages. The following will be some of the common damages that an employee can recover after successfully bringing a wrongful termination claim in California:
• Past, present, and future lost wages. If, despite reasonable efforts, you are unable to find employment after your wrongful termination, you may be entitled to all wages you would have earned from your prior employer had you not been wrongfully terminated. If you find subsequent employment, but you earn less than what your prior employer paid, you are entitled to the difference.
• Emotional distress damages.Because of the discrimination you suffer during your employment, including distress you suffer as a result of the illegal conduct of your employer, you may be entitled to emotional distress damages. Common examples of emotional distress, include, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and other emotional and physical symptoms.
• Punitive damages. If your case goes to trial, a jury has the opportunity to award punitive damages to you in order to punish the willful wrongdoing of your employer. If the jury finds that your employer ratified and/or engaged in the willful conduct, damages can be substantial.
If you have been subjected to unlawful employment practices, you should immediately seek the legal assistance of a top Los Angeles employment lawyer. The Law Offices of Jual F. Reyes is an experienced employment law firm representing the rights of employees with respect to workplace discrimination. If you feel that you have been discriminated against and/or denied a protected right at your workplace, call the firm today at (877) 242-4410.