Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Corona

If you experienced wrongful termination at a Corona 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 Corona

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 Corona 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).

Corona Industries Where Wrongful Termination Claims Are Most Common

• Manufacturing and corporate-headquarters workers - at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation / FMIC (311 Cessna Circle, Corona - U.S. flagship factory and headquarters since 1985; Fender was founded by Leo Fender in 1946 and produces Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars plus Precision and Jazz basses) and Monster Beverage Corporation (1 Monster Way, Corona - global Monster Energy headquarters, NASDAQ: MNST, 5,001-10,000 employees, $8.8B revenue). Common claims: exempt-misclassification (Labor Code section 515), commission and equity-compensation disputes (Labor Code section 2751), Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) for Monster Beverage employees, California Labor Code section 925 choice-of-law/venue protection, Cal/OSHA retaliation (Labor Code section 6310), and Cal-WARN mass-layoff notice (Labor Code sections 1400-1408).
• Warehouse, logistics, and distribution workers - along I-15 (Corona Freeway), SR-91 (Riverside Freeway), and the I-15/I-91 interchange - a major Inland Empire logistics node. Covered by California's Warehouse Quotas Act, AB 701 (California Labor Code sections 2100-2112), client-employer liability under Labor Code section 2810.3, and piece-rate compensation under Labor Code section 226.2.
• Healthcare workers - at Corona Regional Medical Center (800 South Main Street - 259-bed community hospital network with 160-bed acute care + 78-bed rehabilitation; 638 employees per LinkedIn, ~347 affiliated physicians across more than 40 specialties; part of Universal Health Services / NYSE: UHS / Southwest Healthcare). Covered by SB 525 healthcare worker minimum-wage schedule (California 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 Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) for UHS public-company employees.
• Education workers - at Corona-Norco Unified School District / CNUSD (2820 Clark Avenue, Norco - one of the largest school districts in Riverside County, serving Corona and Norco; (951) 736-5000) and Norco College (Riverside Community College District / RCCD, with district office at 3801 Market Street in Riverside). Protected by Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194 due-process rights and California Whistleblower Protection Act, Cal. Government Code section 8547.
• Federal civilian workers (NSWC Corona Division) - at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division (1999 Fourth Street, Norco - 1,800 civilian personnel; NSWC Corona has served as the U.S. Navy's independent assessment agent since 1964 and is part of Naval Sea Systems Command / NAVSEA). NSWC Corona civilian employees have rights under the Civil Service Reform Act, Title 5 / Merit Systems Protection Board, the federal Whistleblower Protection Act (5 U.S.C. section 2302), the Defense Contractor Whistleblower Protection Act (10 U.S.C. section 2409), and the Procurement Integrity Act (41 U.S.C. section 2102).
• Public-sector and retail workers - at the City of Corona (400 South Vicentia Avenue), Corona Police Department (covered by POBR / Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.), and at retail and restaurant employers throughout Corona. Fast-food workers at chains with 60 or more national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (California Labor Code section 1474).

Corona Mass-Layoff Notice Rights

If you were part of a Corona 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 Corona

FEHA charges go to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), 320 W. 4th Street, Suite 1000, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Federal charges go to the EEOC Los Angeles District Office, Roybal Federal Building, 255 East Temple Street, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Whistleblower and wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE Riverside Office, 3737 Main Street, Suite 300, Riverside, CA 92501). Civil suits are heard at the Riverside County Superior Court, Corona Courthouse, 505 S. Buena Vista Avenue, #201, Corona, CA 92882. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.