📋 What is Despido Injustificado in California?

California is an "at-will" employment state, meaning empleadors can generally terminate empleados for any reason or no reason at all. Sin embargo, there are significant exceptions that make certain terminations unlawful. I help both empleados who have been wrongfully terminated and empleadors who need to respond to terminación claims.

Exceptions to At-Will Empleo

⚖ Public Policy (Tameny)

Terminación for refusing to violate law, performing statutory duty, exercising legal rights, or reporting legal violacións

📝 Implied Contract

Handbook policies, verbal assurances, longevity, and practices creating reasonable expectation of job security

👥 FEHA Violacións

Terminación based on race, gender, age, disability, religion, or other protected characteristics

📝 buena fe Exception

mala fe terminación to deprive empleado of earned benefits or commissions

Two-Sided Coverage

✅ For Empleados (Senders)

  • Identify which despido injustificado theory applies
  • Document the circumstances surrounding terminación
  • Gather evidencia of pretext or discriminatory motive
  • Calculate comprehensive daños including punitive
  • Draft a demand that maximizes acuerdo leverage

📩 For Empleadors (Recipients)

  • Evaluate the strength of each terminación theory claimed
  • Document legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons
  • Assess potential responsabilidad under multiple theories
  • Identify defenses and weaknesses in the reclamación
  • Develop strategic response and acuerdo position

⚠ Prescripción

California despido injustificado claims have varying deadlines. FEHA claims require filing with CRD within 3 años. Common law Tameny claims have a 2-year statute. Breach of implied contract has a 2-year statute (oral) or 4-year (written). Consult an abogado promptly.

📝 Elements to Prove

Each despido injustificado theory has different elements. I analyze which theories apply and what evidencia is needed to establish responsabilidad or mount a defense.

Tameny (Public Policy) Elements

  1. Empleo Relationship - Demandante was employed by demandado
  2. Terminación - Demandado terminated demandante's employment
  3. Public Policy Violación - Terminación violated fundamental public policy (statutory or constitutional)
  4. Causation - The public policy violación was a substantial motivating factor in terminación
  5. Daños - Demandante suffered harm as a result

Implied Contract Elements

  1. Empleo Relationship - Demandante was employed by demandado
  2. Implied Promise - Empleador made implied promise limiting terminación rights (handbook, practices, assurances)
  3. Breach - Empleador breached the implied promise by terminating without good cause
  4. Daños - Demandante suffered daños from the breach

FEHA Discriminación Elements

  1. Protected Class - Demandante is a member of protected class
  2. Qualified - Demandante was performing job competently
  3. Adverse Action - Demandado terminated demandante
  4. Circumstances - Circumstances suggest discriminatory motive (replaced by non-protected person, treated differently, etc.)

💡 "Substantial Motivating Factor" Standard

Under California law (Harris v. City of Santa Monica), the empleado need only prove that discriminación or protected activity was a "substantial motivating factor" in the terminación - not the sole or even primary reason. This standard is more favorable than federal law's "but-for" causation requirement.

Empleador Defenses

📄 Legitimate Business Reason

Poor performance, policy violacións, misconduct, restructuring, or economic necessity

📈 Documentation

Progressive discipline, performance reviews, warnings, and contemporaneous records

👥 Same Actor Inference

Same person who hired also fired - inference against discriminatory motive

🕑 After-Acquired Evidencia

Evidencia discovered after terminación that would have justified firing (limits daños)

💰 Daños and Multas

California despido injustificado claims can result in substantial daños. I calculate maximum recuperación for empleados and assess exposure for empleadors.

Damage Category Tameny (Tort) FEHA Contract
Atrás Pay Sí Sí Sí
Front Pay Sí Sí Sí
Lost Benefits Sí Sí Sí
angustia emocional Sí Sí No
Daños Punitivos Sí Sí No
Honorarios de Abogado No Sí No
Damage Caps None None Contract terms

📊 Ejemplo de Cálculo de Daños

Example: FEHA Discriminación Case - Senior Manager

Atrás pay (18 months x $9,000/month) $162,000
Front pay (3 años x $108,000/year) $324,000
Lost benefits (health, 401k, stock) $55,000
Daños por angustia emocional $175,000
Punitive daños $500,000
Abogado fees (estimated) $225,000
TOTAL POTENCIAL DE RECUPERACIÓN $1,441,000

Servicios de Abogado

$575
Carta de Demanda a Tarifa Fija
$240/hr
Hourly Consultation

💰 No Caps on California Daños

Unlike federal Title VII (which caps daños based on empleador size), California's FEHA has no caps on compensatory or punitive daños. Juries can award whatever they believe is fair. Seven-figure verdicts in FEHA cases are not uncommon.

🖩 Despido Injustificado Calculadora de Daños

Use this interactive calculator to estimate potential daños in your California despido injustificado case. Enter your information below to get an estimate of back pay, front pay, lost benefits, and other recoverable daños.

📈 Desglose Estimado de Daños

Click any row for explanation

Salarios Perdidos (Atrás Pay) ▶ $0
Lost Benefits Value ▶ $0
Front Pay (Future Salarios) ▶ $0
Economic Daños Subtotal $0
angustia emocional (Estimated Range) ▶ $0 - $0
Potential Daños Punitivos ▶ $0 - $0
TOTAL ESTIMADO DE DAÑOS $0 - $0
Aviso Legal: This calculator provides rough estimates for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Actual daños vary significantly based on specific facts, evidencia strength, jury composition, and many other factors. Punitive daños are highly unpredictable. Consult with a qualified California employment abogado for an accurate case evaluation.

💡 Factors Affecting Your Recuperación

  • Mitigation: You must make reasonable efforts to find new employment
  • Evidencia: Strong documentation significantly increases acuerdo value
  • Empleador Size: Larger empleadors may have higher punitive exposure
  • Egregious Conduct: Malicious actions increase angustia emocional and punitive awards

✅ Lista de Evidencias

Gather these documents to strengthen your reclamación (empleados) or build your defense (empleadors). Click to check off items as you collect them.

📄 Empleo Documents

  • ✓ Offer letter and employment agreement
  • ✓ Empleado handbook and company policies
  • ✓ Performance reviews and evaluations
  • ✓ Terminación letter or documentation

📩 Comunicaciones

  • ✓ Emails related to terminación
  • ✓ Text messages with supervisors/HR
  • ✓ HR demandas and investigation records
  • ✓ Written warnings or disciplinary records

👥 Testigo Information

  • ✓ Names of coworkers who witnessed events
  • ✓ Contacto info for supportive colleagues
  • ✓ Statements from witnesses
  • ✓ Comparator empleados (similar situations)

📈 Daños Documentation

  • ✓ Pay stubs showing salary, bonuses, benefits
  • ✓ Job search records (applications, rejections)
  • ✓ Medical records for angustia emocional
  • ✓ Lost benefits documentation

🔒 Request Your Personnel File

Under código laboral Section 1198.5, you have the right to inspect and copy your personnel file dentro de 30 días of a written request. Request this immediately - your file may contain evidencia of your performance or reveal pretextual reasons for terminación.

📄 Texto Modelo

I use these templates when drafting despido injustificado carta de demandas. Copiar and customize for your situation.

Opening Paragraph
This letter constitutes formal notice of my client's claims for despido injustificado against [EMPLOYER NAME]. On [TERMINATION DATE], [EMPLOYER NAME] terminated my client's employment in violación of California law, including [FEHA/public policy/implied contract]. The circumstances of this terminación expose [EMPLOYER NAME] to substantial responsabilidad, including compensatory daños, punitive daños, and abogado fees.
Tameny Public Policy Reclamación
My client's terminación violated fundamental public policy as articulated in Tameny v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (1980). Específicamente, my client was terminated for [refusing to violate law/performing statutory duty/exercising legal rights/reporting violacións]. On [DATE], my client [DESCRIBE PROTECTED CONDUCT]. This conduct is protected by [SPECIFIC STATUTE OR CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION]. Within [TIMEFRAME], my client was terminated in represalia for this protected activity. This despido injustificado in violación of public policy entitles my client to compensatory daños, punitive daños, and all other available remedies.
FEHA Discriminación Reclamación
My client's terminación violated the California Fair Empleo and Housing Act (Government Code Section 12940). My client is a member of a protected class based on [PROTECTED CHARACTERISTIC]. Despite [YEARS] of service and consistently strong performance reviews, my client was terminated on [DATE]. The stated reason for terminación - [STATED REASON] - is pretextual, as evidenciad by [EVIDENCE: timing, disparate treatment, comments, replacement by non-protected empleado]. My client's [PROTECTED CHARACTERISTIC] was a substantial motivating factor in the terminación decision.
Implied Contract Reclamación
[EMPLOYER NAME]'s conduct created an implied contract limiting its right to terminate my client. Under Foley v. Interactive Data Corp. (1988), courts consider the totality of circumstances. Here, [EMPLOYER NAME]: [maintained handbook promising terminación only for cause/made verbal assurances of continued employment/followed progressive discipline policy for other empleados/employed my client for X years with regular promotions and commendations]. My client reasonably relied on these representations and was terminated without good cause in breach of the implied contract.
Daños Demand
Based on the foregoing, my client demands compensación for all daños arising from this despido injustificado, including: (1) back pay of $[AMOUNT]; (2) front pay reflecting my client's anticipated earnings through [DATE/RETIREMENT]; (3) the value of all lost benefits; (4) angustia emocional daños for the anxiety, humiliation, and mental anguish caused by this terminación; and (5) punitive daños to punish [EMPLOYER NAME]'s malicious and oppressive conduct. My client also reserves the right to seek abogado fees under FEHA. Total exposure exceeds $[AMOUNT]. To resolve this matter, my client will accept $[SETTLEMENT AMOUNT] within [30 DAYS].

👥 Cuándo Contratar a Despido Injustificado Abogado

despido injustificado cases are among the most complex employment claims. Understanding when professional help is essential can make the difference between a successful recuperación and a lost case.

Maneje Usted Mismo Cuando:

✅ Simple Final Paycheck Issue

If your only reclamación is unpaid final salarios (not despido injustificado itself), usted podría use DLSE

✅ Negotiating Severance

If the empleador is offering severance and you just need help reviewing terms (though an abogado review is still valuable)

Contrate un Abogado Cuando:

⚠ FEHA Discriminación Reclamación

FEHA discriminación requires proving protected characteristic, adverse action, and causation - complex legal elements

⚠ Represalia for Protected Activity

Whistleblower and represalia claims require establishing the protected activity and proving causal connection

⚠ Public Policy Violación

Tameny claims for despido injustificado in violación of public policy are fact-intensive and legally complex

⚠ Significant Daños

despido injustificado daños can include years of lost salarios, angustia emocional, and punitive daños

Why You Almost Always Need an Abogado

  • Complex Legal Elements: despido injustificado requires proving specific legal elements that vary by reclamación type
  • Fee-Shifting: FEHA allows prevailing demandantes to recover abogado fees - making representation economically viable
  • Administrative Exhaustion: FEHA claims require filing with DFEH/CRD first - abogados ensure proper procedures
  • Empleador Has Counsel: Empleadors always hire abogados for despido injustificado claims - you should too
  • Acuerdo Leverage: Represented empleados receive significantly higher acuerdos on average
  • Prescripción: FEHA has strict filing deadlines - an abogado ensures you don't miss them

Not Sure If You Have a Case?

Take our free 2-minute assessment to evaluate your despido injustificado reclamación.

Tomar Evaluación Gratuita

⚠ Time Is Critical

FEHA discriminación claims must be filed with the Civil Rights Department within 3 años of the terminación. Whistleblower claims have varying deadlines. Evidencia and testigo memories degrade quickly. Consult an abogado immediately after terminación.

🚀 Próximos Pasos

Whether you're an empleado sending a despido injustificado reclamación or an empleador responding to one, I can help you navigate the process.

For Empleados (Senders)

Step 1: Gather Evidencia

Request personnel file, collect communications, identify witnesses and comparators

Step 2: Enviar Carta de Demanda

I draft comprehensive carta de demandas for Tarifa fija de $575 that maximize acuerdo value

Step 3: File CRD Demanda

For FEHA claims, file with California Civil Rights Department within 3 años

Step 4: Litigate if Necessary

File demanda judicial in Superior Tribunal if acuerdo not reached

For Empleadors (Recipients)

Step 1: Preserve Evidencia

Issue litigio hold immediately to preserve all relevant records

Step 2: Investigate Reclamación

Gather documentation of legitimate terminación reasons

Step 3: Assess Exposure

Evaluate reclamación theories and calculate potential responsabilidad

Step 4: Respond Strategically

I help empleadors craft responses that protect interests and explore resolution

📌 CRD/DFEH Filing Process

For FEHA claims, you must file a demanda with California's Civil Rights Department (formerly DFEH) within 3 años of the discriminatory act. puede presentar online at calcivilrights.ca.gov. You can request an immediate "Right to Sue" notice or have CRD investigate. Tameny claims can be filed directly in tribunal.

¿Necesita Ayuda Legal?

I help both empleados and empleadors with California despido injustificado claims. Agendar una consulta to discuss your situation.

Agendar Consulta Email: owner@terms.law

Recursos de California

  • CA Civil Rights Department (CRD): calcivilrights.ca.gov - File FEHA demandas
  • CRD Hotline: 1-800-884-1684 (voice), 1-800-700-2320 (TTY)
  • California Labor Commissioner: dir.ca.gov/dlse - Wage and represalia claims
  • Referencia de Abogado del Colegio de Abogados: calbar.ca.gov - Find employment abogados