Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Palmdale

If you experienced wrongful termination at a Palmdale 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 Palmdale

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 Palmdale 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). Palmdale aerospace workers caught in program-transition mass layoffs should also check Cal-WARN compliance.

Palmdale Industries Where Wrongful Termination Claims Are Most Common

• Aerospace and defense workers - at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Northrop Grumman (B-21 production), and Boeing on Air Force Plant 42. Common pattern: layoff or termination after the employee raises safety, compliance, or security-clearance concerns (Labor Code section 1102.5), or after a program transition (Cal-WARN, Labor Code sections 1400 et seq.).
• Healthcare workers - at Palmdale Regional Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Antelope Valley. Common pattern: termination after the worker reports patient-safety concerns under Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for retaliation).
• Public-sector workers - at the City of Palmdale, Palmdale Elementary School District, Antelope Valley Union High School District, and Antelope Valley College. Public employees have pre-deprivation due-process rights under Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194 and California Whistleblower Protection Act coverage under Cal. Government Code section 8547.
• Warehouse and distribution workers - along the SR-14 / SR-138 freight corridor. Common pattern: termination after the worker reports unsafe quotas under AB 701 (Labor Code sections 2100 et seq.) or unsafe equipment to Cal/OSHA under Labor Code section 6310.
• Retail, restaurant, and other workplaces - across Palmdale. Common pattern: termination after the worker reports unpaid wages, missed meal/rest breaks, or discrimination.

Palmdale Mass-Layoff Notice Rights

If you were part of a Palmdale mass layoff (particularly in the aerospace sector at Lockheed, Northrop, or Boeing on Air Force Plant 42), 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 Palmdale

FEHA charges go to the CRD, 320 W. 4th Street, Suite 1000, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Federal charges go to the EEOC, 255 East Temple Street, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Whistleblower and wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE Van Nuys, 6150 Van Nuys Boulevard, Room 206). Civil suits are heard at the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse, 42011 4th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534 (the North District of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, serving Palmdale and the entire Antelope Valley). Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.