"At-will" doesn't mean "no rights"
California is an at-will employment state, which means your employer can generally end your job at any time, for almost any reason — and you can leave the same way. Many workers hear "at-will" and assume they have no case. That's a mistake. At-will has firm limits: an employer cannot fire you for an illegal reason.
What your employer cannot legally do
- Fire, demote, or punish you because of a protected characteristic — race, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, religion, and more
- Retaliate against you for reporting harassment, discrimination, safety issues, or unpaid wages
- Deny you legally required pay, overtime, or meal and rest breaks
- Refuse a reasonable accommodation for a disability or medical condition
- Punish you for taking protected medical or pregnancy leave
Where does your situation fit?
Real situations rarely fit neatly into one box. A single firing can be discrimination and retaliation and a wage violation all at once. You don't have to figure out the right category — that's my job. Explore the specific areas below, or simply tell me what happened.
- Wrongful Termination
- Discrimination
- Sexual Harassment
- Wage & Overtime
- Retaliation
- Whistleblower
- Disability & Accommodation
How I help — at no cost to you
I represent employees only — never employers — on contingency. You pay nothing up front and nothing out of pocket, and you'll work directly with me, in English or Spanish. If there's no recovery, you owe me nothing.