Wrongful Termination Lawyer in El Cajon

If you experienced wrongful termination at an El Cajon 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 El Cajon

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 El Cajon 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).

El Cajon Industries Where Wrongful Termination Claims Are Most Common

• Healthcare workers - at Sharp Grossmont Hospital (5555 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa - 562-bed acute-care hospital, the largest hospital in East County, serving El Cajon, La Mesa, and Santee) and at the Sharp Grossmont Rehab Center (listed on the California EDD Major Employers in San Diego County roster). Covered by SB 525 healthcare worker minimum-wage schedule (California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) and California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation).
• Education workers - at Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District (8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon - operates Grossmont College and Cuyamaca College), Grossmont Union High School District (grades 9-12 across El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Santee, and surrounding areas), and Cajon Valley Union School District (K-8). 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.
• Tribal-gaming and hospitality workers - at Sycuan Casino Resort (5469 Casino Way - operated by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, one of the largest casinos in San Diego County). Tribal-government workplaces have a unique legal framework: tribal sovereign immunity may bar some state-court claims, and many employment claims must proceed under the tribe's own labor ordinance and tribal court. Title VII excludes tribes from "employer" coverage (42 U.S.C. section 2000e(b)). Federal laws of general applicability may still apply. Call us before filing any Sycuan-related claim.
• Manufacturing workers - at SCUBAPRO/Johnson Outdoors Diving (1166 Fesler Street, Suite A, El Cajon - subsidiary of Johnson Outdoors Inc., NASDAQ: JOUT, publicly traded outdoor-recreational-products company) and other manufacturing employers. Covered by Cal/OSHA retaliation (Labor Code section 6310), piece-rate compensation (Labor Code section 226.2), client-employer liability (Labor Code section 2810.3), and Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) for public-company employees.
• Public-sector workers - at the City of El Cajon (200 Civic Center Way - charter city), El Cajon Police Department, GUHSD, Cajon Valley Union, Grossmont-Cuyamaca CCD, and County of San Diego agencies. Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline under Cal. Government Code section 911.2 for parallel tort claims.
• Retail and restaurant workers - at Parkway Plaza (one of the largest shopping malls in East County) and along Main Street, Magnolia Avenue, and Fletcher Parkway. Fast-food workers at chains with 60 or more national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (California Labor Code section 1474).

El Cajon Mass-Layoff Notice Rights

If you were part of a El Cajon 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 El Cajon

FEHA charges go to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) - statewide intake (800) 884-1684. Federal charges go to the EEOC San Diego Local Office, 555 West Beech Street, Suite 504, San Diego, CA 92101, (619) 900-1616. Whistleblower and wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE San Diego Office, 7575 Metropolitan Drive, Suite 210, San Diego, CA 92108). Civil suits are heard at the San Diego County Superior Court, East County Regional Center, 250 East Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92020. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.