Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Daly City

Daly City wrongful termination cases are pursued under California's broad employment-protection framework, including FEHA (Government Code section 12940), Title VII, and Labor Code sections 1102.5/6310. Strict filing deadlines apply: CRD 3 years; EEOC 300 days. We represent employees only, never employers. Free confidential consultation.

What Is Wrongful Termination in Daly City

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 Daly City 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).

Daly City Industries Where Wrongful Termination Claims Are Most Common

• Healthcare workers - at AHMC Seton Medical Center (1900 Sullivan Avenue, Daly City, CA 94015, (650) 992-4000 - 377-398-bed hospital owned by AHMC Healthcare; originally Mary's Help Hospital, founded 1965; one of the largest employers in Daly City). The Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center also serves many Daly City residents. 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.
• Retail and consumer-services workers - at the Westlake Shopping Center (285 Lake Merced Boulevard - one of the largest open-air shopping centers in the Bay Area), the Serramonte Center (3 Serramonte Center - enclosed regional mall), and chain retailers along Mission Street, Junipero Serra Boulevard, Geneva Avenue, and the I-280 corridor. Daly City workers covered by the Daly City Minimum Wage Ordinance earn $17.50/hour effective January 1, 2026. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).
• Education workers - at the Jefferson Union High School District / JUHSD (grades 9-12), the Jefferson Elementary School District (K-8), and Skyline College (in adjacent San Bruno, part of the San Mateo County Community College District). Protected by Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194 due-process rights, California Whistleblower Protection Act (Cal. Gov. Code section 8547), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline (Cal. Gov. Code section 911.2).
• SFO airport-related workers - at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and in airport-related operations (airlines, ground handling, cargo, hospitality, rental car) - a significant portion of Daly City residents work at SFO. Airline workers are covered by the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. section 151 et seq.) for collective bargaining and AIR21 (49 U.S.C. section 42121) whistleblower protection. Ground-handling and ramp workers are typically W-2 employees of contractors covered by California Labor Code and FEHA. SFO airport workers (under the City of San Francisco's jurisdiction) are also covered by the San Francisco Airport Quality Standards Program.
• Government and public-sector workers - at the City of Daly City (333 90th Street), the Daly City Police Department (DCPD officers subject to POBR / Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.), and the North County Fire Authority (which provides fire services to Daly City). Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.

Daly City Mass-Layoff Notice Rights

If you were part of a Daly City 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 Daly City

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, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 5 West, San Francisco, CA 94102. Whistleblower and wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE San Francisco Office, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, 9th Floor, Suite 9628, San Francisco, CA 94102, (415) 703-5300). Civil suits are heard at the San Mateo County Superior Court, Northern Branch, 1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco, CA 94080. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.