When Your Employer Breaks the Law, We Fight for Your Rights.
Fired, harassed, punished for speaking up, or shorted on pay? Unfair is not always illegal, but sometimes it is. Here is how to tell the difference, what to save today, and which deadlines may already be running.
After you send this, our intake team will reach out to talk it through. Everything you share with us is confidential.
Recent Employment Results
In Their Words
We Handle All Types of Employment Law Cases
Wage and Hour
When you were not paid everything you earned.
Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
When you were treated differently, harassed, or punished.
Unfair, or Illegal? Where Your Situation May Fall
Most California jobs are at-will: the law says a job with no set term may be ended "at the will of either party." That usually allows a firing for no reason, but not for an illegal one. Find the lines that sound most like yours. These are signs, not guarantees.
Often not enough on its own
- Your boss didn't like you or played favorites, and nothing ties it to a protected trait, a complaint, or leave.
- You were fired without warning or without a reason, and nothing else points to an illegal reason.
- You were let go for a clear, documented problem, and others with the same problem were treated the same way.
- A real closure or layoff hit many people, and the choices didn't fall harder on any protected group.
- Your complaints were about everyday frustrations, like your schedule or a difficult coworker.
Not sure? Ask. A free review costs you nothing.
Worth a closer look
- They called it a layoff, but you were the only one let go, or someone was hired into your job soon after.
- The write-ups started only after you spoke up, took leave, or told your boss about a medical condition or pregnancy.
- You were paid as an independent contractor, but the company set your hours and directed your work. Contractor or employee?
- Your meal or rest breaks were often late, cut short, or skipped, and you never saw an extra hour of pay for it. Missed breaks
- Your final paycheck came days or weeks after you were let go. Final paycheck rules
- Coworkers who broke the same rule kept their jobs, but you don't know the details yet.
Points toward a case
- You were fired, demoted, or had hours cut soon after complaining about harassment, discrimination, or unpaid wages. Retaliation
- Someone involved in the decision commented on your age (40 or over), race, pregnancy, disability, or another protected trait. Discrimination
- You were let go during or right after pregnancy, medical, or family leave. Pregnancy and leave
- You were fired after reporting something you reasonably believed was illegal, or after refusing to take part in it. Fired in California
- You were paid hourly, regularly worked more than 8 hours a day or 40 a week, and were never paid overtime. Unpaid overtime
- A boss or coworker made sexual comments, touched you, or pressured you, and it kept happening after you reported it. Sexual harassment
Signs, not guarantees. Every situation is different.
What an Attorney Looks at in Your Story
Bad treatment at work is not always illegal. When an attorney reviews a situation, these are the questions that often help tell the two apart. No single one decides a case, and a gap in one is common.
What came first, and what came after? An attorney lines up the dates of a complaint, a leave request, or the day your boss learned about a pregnancy or medical condition against the dates of write-ups, cut hours, or the firing. A sudden change after a steady record is worth a closer look.
Texts, emails, reviews, write-ups, schedules, and the termination letter show what people said at the time, before anyone expected a dispute. Sometimes what is missing matters too, like a firing for poor performance with no warnings on file.
Coworkers, former coworkers, and customers who saw a comment, a complaint, or a meeting may be able to back up your account. Their names and how to reach them are often as useful as any document.
Were coworkers in the same role, with the same kind of record, treated the same way? A rule enforced only against you, or only against people who share a trait with you, is worth a closer look.
Employers usually give a reason. An attorney checks whether it holds up: does it match your record, did it change over time, and was it applied to anyone else?
Lost pay and benefits, the time it took to find new work, lower pay at a new job, and how it has affected your health and daily life. Keep a simple record of where you applied and when.
Two Things the Law Says About Your Last Paycheck
In the first few days, two questions usually come up: when the last paycheck is due, and what they want you to sign.
If you are fired, wages you earned are generally due immediately. Earned, unused vacation generally must be paid out too, at your final rate. How final pay works
The law generally bars an employer from requiring you to sign a release of wage claims before paying wages that are due, and says a release like that is void. Wages you already earned are not severance. Before you sign severance
What to Save While You Still Can
Work email, chat, and scheduling apps often shut off the day a job ends. Save what is yours, and ask in writing for the rest.
From Your Own Phone and Email
- Texts and messages from managers and coworkers, with names and dates visible
- Voicemails from your boss or HR
- Photos or screenshots of your own schedules, hours, and pay app entries
- Personal contact information for coworkers who saw what happened
- A dated timeline in your own words: complaints, leave, comments, write-ups, and the last day
Papers You Already Have
- Your termination letter or any written notice
- Pay stubs, including the final check and the date you got it
- Good reviews, awards, and praise emails sent to you
- Leave or accommodation requests and the replies
- Any severance agreement. Save a copy and talk to an attorney before you sign: signing usually means giving up most, and often all, of your right to take legal action.
Ask for in Writing
- A copy of your personnel file (generally due within 30 calendar days of a written request)
- Your payroll records (generally due within 21 calendar days of a request)
- A copy of anything you signed to get or keep the job
What Not to Do
- Don't take confidential company or customer files
- Don't delete messages or posts, even ones you regret
- Don't secretly record a conversation; California generally requires everyone's consent to record a confidential conversation
Deadlines That May Already Be Running
Different claims have different clocks. These are the general rules for discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims under California's civil rights law; the deadline that applies depends on your facts, so it is safer to ask early.
For discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for opposing them, you generally must file with the California Civil Rights Department within three years of the last harm, and get a right-to-sue notice before filing a lawsuit.
Once the Civil Rights Department issues the right-to-sue notice, the lawsuit generally must be filed within one year of that notice.
What Happens After You Reach Out
You don't need legal words or a perfect file to start. The review is free.
Use the form on this page or call. A rough outline is enough: when you started, what changed, and how it ended.
Our intake team gathers all the details of what happened, along with any documents and evidence you may have.
An attorney looks at what you shared, including the reason your employer gave, the timing, and the deadlines that may apply.
You hear what the attorney sees and what the next steps could be. No recovery, no fees or costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
I signed an arbitration agreement. Can I still do anything?
It depends on the agreement and the claim. An arbitration agreement generally changes where a claim is decided: instead of a court, a neutral person called an arbitrator hears each side, looks at the evidence, and makes a decision. For a sexual harassment or sexual assault dispute that arose on or after March 3, 2022, federal law generally lets the person bringing it choose not to be held to an arbitration agreement signed before the dispute. If you don't have a copy of what you signed to get or keep the job, you may ask for one.
I still work there. Can I talk to you?
Yes. California law treats a person who consults a lawyer for legal advice as a client, and confidential conversations with the lawyer are generally protected by the lawyer-client privilege, even before you hire anyone. Use your personal phone and personal email to reach us, not a work phone, laptop, or account. The law also protects employees from retaliation for opposing discrimination or harassment, and for reporting what they reasonably believe is a violation of law to a government agency or to someone at work with authority to investigate or correct it. Retaliation
I have a severance offer on the table.
Have it reviewed before you sign. California law allows an agreement tied to leaving a job to include a general release of all claims, as long as the release is otherwise lawful and valid, so signing may give up claims you have now. The law also requires an employer offering one to tell you that you have a right to consult an attorney about it, and it generally bars terms that stop you from disclosing information about unlawful acts in the workplace. Before you sign severance
I don't have much proof.
That is common, and your own account is a starting point: California's civil jury instructions tell jurors that evidence can be testimony about what someone saw or heard. They also say it makes no difference whether evidence is direct or indirect (sometimes called circumstantial). Many cases are built from dates, messages, and the people who were there, and an attorney acting for you may request records such as your personnel file. An honest review will also tell you what is missing.
Does it matter how many people my employer has?
It can. California's main civil rights law against job discrimination generally covers employers with five or more employees. Harassment is different: it is prohibited in all workplaces, even those with fewer than five employees.
I was harassed once. Can one incident be enough?
It can, depending on how serious it was. California law says a single incident of harassing conduct can be enough to take a hostile work environment claim forward, if it unreasonably interfered with your work or created an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. More on harassment
The company calls me an independent contractor. Can I still have a wage claim?
Possibly. Under California's wage laws, a person who works for pay is generally considered an employee unless the hiring company shows that certain conditions are all met. How the test works
Do my rights depend on my immigration status?
No. California law says the protections, rights, and remedies of its state laws are available to workers regardless of immigration status, except any reinstatement remedy barred by federal law.
If I bring a case and lose, could I owe my employer's attorney fees?
Under California's civil rights law, a worker who loses generally won't be ordered to pay the employer's fees and costs unless the court finds the case was frivolous, unreasonable, or groundless when brought, or the worker kept going after it clearly became so. Other laws have their own rules.
What does it cost to find out if I have a case?
Nothing. The case review is free, and our fee line is simple: No recovery, no fees or costs.
Where can I read more before I reach out?
Our Straight Answers guides go deeper on each situation, from being fired to unpaid overtime, with the laws behind each answer.
Laws and Official Guidance Referenced
The California laws and agency guidance this page refers to. This page is general information, not legal advice for your situation.
- California Labor Code section 2922 (at-will employment)
- California Government Code section 12940 (unlawful employment practices)
- California Government Code section 12926 (definitions: employer, age, sex)
- California Government Code section 12923 (harassment standards)
- California Government Code section 12945.2 (family and medical leave)
- California Government Code section 12960 (Civil Rights Department filing deadline)
- California Government Code section 12965 (right-to-sue notice and fees)
- California Labor Code section 98.6 (retaliation for wage complaints)
- California Labor Code section 1102.5 (whistleblower protection)
- California Labor Code section 510 (overtime)
- California Labor Code section 201 (final wages when fired)
- California Labor Code section 227.3 (vacation pay when a job ends)
- California Labor Code section 206.5 (releases of wage claims)
- California Labor Code section 1198.5 (personnel records)
- California Labor Code section 226 (payroll records)
- California Labor Code section 432 (copies of signed documents)
- California Labor Code section 2775 (employee or independent contractor)
- California Labor Code section 1171.5 (immigration status)
- California Penal Code section 632 (recording confidential conversations)
- California Civil Rights Department: Employment
- California Civil Rights Department: Complaint Process
- California Labor Commissioner: Meal Periods FAQ
- California Labor Commissioner: Rest Periods FAQ
- California Labor Commissioner: Overtime FAQ
- Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. section 2 (agreements to arbitrate)
- 9 U.S.C. section 401 (Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act: definitions and effective date)
- 9 U.S.C. section 402 (Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act: choice not to arbitrate)
- California Courts Self-Help Guide: Resolve your dispute out of court
- California Evidence Code section 951 (who is a client)
- California Evidence Code section 954 (lawyer-client privilege)
- California Government Code section 12964.5 (releases and separation agreements)
- Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (CACI) 2026, No. 202 (Direct and Indirect Evidence)
Who Handles Your Case
Directs strategy on every litigated case and manages each stage through trial. Selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars every year since 2021.
Handles both pre-litigation and litigation matters while leading how the firm runs.
Helps shape litigation and negotiation strategy on all of the firm's cases, drawing on more than 40 years of practice.
Primarily focuses on resolving cases before they reach a courtroom, representing clients in direct negotiations and at mediation.
Talk to Our Team
Tell us what happened. Our team gathers the details, and an attorney reviews your situation. Free and confidential. No recovery, no fees or costs.