Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Whittier

Whittier 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 Whittier

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 Whittier 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).

Whittier Industries Where Wrongful Termination Claims Are Most Common

• Healthcare workers - at PIH Health Whittier Hospital (12401 Washington Boulevard - 523-bed hospital, largest employer in Whittier per Wikipedia; part of PIH Health regional system also operating PIH Health Downey Hospital and PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles). 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 Whittier College (13406 East Philadelphia Street - private four-year liberal arts college with WUHSD scholarship partnership; private-college employees covered by FEHA but NOT by State Civil Service Act), Whittier Union High School District / WUHSD (serves grades 9-12), Whittier City School District (K-8), and Rio Hondo College / Rio Hondo Community College District. Public-school workers 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.
• Public-sector workers - at the City of Whittier (13230 Penn Street - charter city since 1955, originally incorporated February 25, 1898), Whittier Police Department, the Whittier Courthouse (7339 South Painter Avenue, LA County Superior Court branch), and other Los Angeles County agencies. Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline under Cal. Gov. Code section 911.2 for parallel tort claims.
• Retail, restaurant, and fast-food workers - at the Whittwood Town Center, Uptown Whittier (Greenleaf Avenue), and along Whittier Boulevard, Painter Avenue, and Washington Boulevard. Fast-food workers at chains with 60 or more national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (California Labor Code section 1474). Common claims: wage and hour, commission disputes (Labor Code section 2751), tip protections (Labor Code section 351), and sexual harassment under FEHA Cal. Government Code section 12940(j).
• Warehouse, logistics, and manufacturing workers - along the I-605 corridor connecting Whittier to the Gateway Cities, San Gabriel Valley, and Inland Empire warehouse networks. Covered by California's Warehouse Quotas Act, AB 701 (California Labor Code sections 2100-2112), client-employer liability (Labor Code section 2810.3), and piece-rate compensation (Labor Code section 226.2).
• Professional-services and small-office workers - in legal, medical, accounting, and other professional services across the Uptown Whittier district and along Whittier Boulevard. Common claims: exempt-misclassification (Labor Code section 515), wage and hour, commission disputes, and Silenced No More Act protection (CCP section 1001 and Cal. Gov. Code section 12964.5) against NDAs covering harassment or discrimination.

Whittier Mass-Layoff Notice Rights

If you were part of a Whittier 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 Whittier

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 Los Angeles Office, 320 W. 4th Street, Suite 450, Los Angeles, CA 90013). Civil suits are heard at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Whittier Courthouse, 7339 South Painter Avenue, Whittier, CA 90602. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.