California Wrongful Termination Breach of Contract Lawyers

Wrongful termination due to breach of contract happens when an employer fires an employee in a way that breaks the terms of an employment agreement. This agreement could be a written document, like a contract you sign when you start a job, outlining conditions for termination and job duration. It could also be an implied contract, which isn’t written down but is understood from the company’s actions, policies, or even verbal assurances. Here are the key points to understand:

Types of Contracts

• Written Contracts: These clearly lay out the reasons you can be fired and your job’s duration. If you’re fired for a reason not listed or before your contract is up, that might be a breach of this agreement.
• Implied Contracts: Even without a written contract, if there’s an understanding based on company practices or verbal promises that you won’t be fired without cause, this can also be considered a contract.

Breach of Contract

• If an employer fires someone in a way that breaks the contract’s terms, it’s considered wrongful termination. This could be because they didn’t follow the right process, fired someone for a reason not allowed in the contract, or didn’t respect the implied promise of job security based on the company’s usual practices.

When You Have a Written Contract

• Clear Rules: If you signed a contract that spells out specific reasons you can be fired and your employer doesn’t stick to those reasons, they might be breaking that contract.
• Set Time Period: If your contract says you’re hired for a certain length of time but you’re let go before then without a good reason listed in the contract, that could also be a breach of contract.

Even Without a Written Contract

• Unspoken Promises: Sometimes, even if you don’t have a contract written down, things like company policies or things your boss said might create an “implied” contract. If your company usually doesn’t fire people without a serious reason or follows a certain process before firing, you might argue there was an understanding that you wouldn’t be fired without cause.
• Breaking Unspoken Rules: If you’re fired in a way that goes against these unspoken rules, you might have a case for wrongful termination based on a breach of this implied contract.

Getting Help

Laws around contracts and employment can be tricky, so it’s a good idea to talk to our breach of contract lawyers who know about employment laws. We can help you understand if you have a case and what your next steps should be. Make sure to keep all the paperwork related to your job, like your contract, any letters or emails about your job, the employee handbook, and any records of your work performance. These can be really important if you decide to take action against your employer for firing you unfairly.