Wrongful Termination/Whistleblower

In the absence of a written employment agreement for a specified period of time, employment in California is statutorily presumed to be at-will. However, this does not mean that an employer can simply terminate an employee for any reason it desires. In addition to the laws preventing terminations and other adverse employment actions based on discrimination, employers also cannot terminate a “whistleblower” – that is, an individual who makes a valid complaint about an illegal activity taking place within the company.

Essentially, if an employee is discharged or otherwise disciplined because of or in retaliation for voicing complaints concerning illegal activities, the employee may have a claim against the employer for wrongful termination in violation of public policy.