Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Concord

If you experienced wrongful termination at a Concord workplace, you have strong protections under California law. We represent employees only, never employers, and offer a free, confidential consultation. 1-800-371-3088.

What Is Wrongful Termination in Concord

California is an at-will state, but the at-will rule has many exceptions. The leading case is Tameny v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (1980) 27 Cal.3d 167, which established the public-policy tort: an employee fired for refusing to commit an illegal act, for asserting a statutory right, or for reporting illegal conduct can sue in tort. Other Concord wrongful-termination grounds include FEHA (Cal. Government Code section 12940), Labor Code section 1102.5 (whistleblower retaliation), Labor Code section 6310 (Cal/OSHA retaliation), Labor Code section 232 (wage-discussion retaliation), and Labor Code section 132a (workers' compensation retaliation).

Concord Industries Where Wrongful Termination Claims Are Most Common

• Healthcare workers - at John Muir Medical Center - Concord Campus (2540 East Street, Concord, CA 94520, (925) 682-8200 - 244-licensed-bed (276 HCAI) acute-care hospital, one of Concord's largest employers; serves Contra Costa and southern Solano counties; operated by John Muir Health headquartered in adjacent Walnut Creek), plus a 73-bed psychiatric hospital affiliated with John Muir Health in Concord. Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE: FMS) also operates dialysis clinics and corporate functions in Concord. Covered by SB 525 healthcare worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16), California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation), and CNA / SEIU-UHW collective bargaining agreements. Public-company employees at Fresenius have additional Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) and Dodd-Frank (15 U.S.C. section 78u-6) protection.
• K-12 education workers - at the Mt. Diablo Unified School District / MDUSD (1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord, CA 94519, (925) 682-8000 - approximately 3,100 educators, administrators, and staff, one of the largest school districts in the Bay Area; operates 50+ schools from preschool through adult education serving Concord, Pleasant Hill, Bay Point, Clayton, and portions of Pittsburg, Walnut Creek, and Lafayette). Public-school workers have pre-deprivation due-process rights under Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194, California Whistleblower Protection Act (Cal. Gov. Code section 8547), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline (Cal. Gov. Code section 911.2).
• Banking, finance, and corporate operations workers - at the Bank of America Technology Center (one of the largest BofA operations centers in the western United States) and the Chevron Credit Center (Chevron USA's national credit operations office). Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) employees are protected by Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) for accounting/securities fraud whistleblower claims, Dodd-Frank section 922 (15 U.S.C. section 78u-6), and - for banking-sector workers specifically - 12 U.S.C. section 1831j whistleblower protection. Office workers are covered by all standard California FEHA, Labor Code, and federal Title VII / ADA / ADEA / FMLA protections.
• Higher education and government workers - at Diablo Valley College (DVC - 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill, adjacent to Concord; part of the Contra Costa Community College District), the City of Concord (1950 Parkside Drive - general-law city), the Concord Police Department (CPD officers subject to POBR / Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.), and the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (which provides fire services to Concord). Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• Concord Reuse Project, retail, and consumer-services workers - at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station (established 1942 as a vital munitions storage and shipping facility for the U.S. Navy, decommissioned with the inland portion transferred to the City of Concord and East Bay Regional Park District for redevelopment as the Concord Reuse Project), and at retail along Concord Avenue, Willow Pass Road, and Clayton Road including The Veranda outdoor lifestyle center and SunValley Shopping Center. Common claims: wage and hour (off-the-clock and rounding violations under Cal. Labor Code sections 226.7, 510, 512) and commission disputes (Cal. Labor Code section 2751). Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).

Concord Mass-Layoff Notice Rights

If you were part of a Concord mass layoff, the California WARN Act (California Labor Code sections 1400 through 1408) requires covered employers with 75 or more workers to give 60 days' advance written notice of a mass layoff of 50 or more employees in any 30-day period, a plant closing, or a relocation. Federal WARN (29 U.S.C. sections 2101-2109) applies to employers with 100+ employees. Damages: up to 60 days of back pay and benefits, plus an additional civil penalty of up to $500 per day under federal WARN if notice is not given to the local government. SB 617 (effective January 1, 2026) expanded the required notice content.

California Law

For the full California framework, including Tameny, Labor Code section 1102.5, FEHA, Cal-WARN, and public-employee due-process rights, see our California employment law page.

What Compensation Can You Recover

Back pay, front pay (or reinstatement where appropriate), emotional-distress damages, punitive damages (unlimited under FEHA and under the Tameny tort), 60-day Cal-WARN back-pay damages where applicable, and attorneys' fees and costs (Cal. Government Code section 12965(c); Labor Code section 1102.5(j)). For details, see our California employment law page.

How to File a Wrongful Termination Claim in Concord

FEHA charges go to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), Oakland Office, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 701, Oakland, CA 94612. Federal charges go to the EEOC San Francisco District Office (Contra Costa County jurisdiction), 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 5 West, San Francisco, CA 94102. Whistleblower and wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE Oakland Office, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 801, Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 622-3273). Civil suits are heard at the Contra Costa County Superior Court, Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.