Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Huntington Beach

If you experienced wrongful termination at a Huntington Beach 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 Huntington Beach

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 Huntington Beach 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).

Huntington Beach Industries Where Wrongful Termination Claims Are Most Common

• Boeing aerospace and defense workers - at the Huntington Beach campus (legacy McDonnell Douglas / Hughes Space & Communications). Boeing had 7,940 workers there in 2000; the company announced in November 2016 that it would shift roughly 2,400 jobs to Los Angeles County by 2020, with continuing periodic layoffs.
• Healthcare workers - at Huntington Beach Hospital (17772 Beach Boulevard, (714) 843-5000), MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in nearby Fountain Valley, and Hoag Hospital Newport Beach.
• Hotel and hospitality workers - at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, Paséa Hotel & Spa, The Waterfront Beach Resort (Hilton), and Kimpton Shorebreak Resort along the Pacific Coast Highway.
• Surf-industry workers - at Quiksilver (15202 Graham Street, HB 92649; founded 1969) and other Huntington Beach-based surf brands and retail.
• Public-sector workers - at the City of Huntington Beach (2000 Main Street), Huntington Beach Union High School District, Ocean View School District, Coast Community College District (Golden West College), and the Orange County Sheriff.
• Retail and restaurant workers - at Pacific City, Bella Terra, Five Points Plaza, and along the Main Street downtown corridor. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20/hour AB 1228 floor.

Huntington Beach Mass-Layoff Notice Rights

If you were part of a Huntington Beach 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. Boeing has run multiple Huntington Beach workforce reductions including the 2016 announcement to shift 2,400 jobs to LA County by 2020 and subsequent layoffs in 2025 - workers in those reductions should check Cal-WARN compliance.

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 Huntington Beach

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 Santa Ana Office, 2 MacArthur Place, Suite 800, Santa Ana, CA 92707, phone (714) 558-4910). Civil suits are heard at the Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.