Fired or punished for speaking up in San Diego?
Losing your job, hours or standing after you reported misconduct, took protected leave or exercised a workplace right may be unlawful.
If your workplace rights were violated, you may be able to pursue compensation for lost pay or emotional harm, and hold your employer accountable.
Not sure whether it was "serious enough"? You can request a review even if you never reported it to HR or are still employed.
What wrongful termination can look like, and what the law calls it.
Not every unfair firing is unlawful. What matters is the real reason behind the decision, and whether that reason is one the law prohibits.
My reviews were fine for years. Then I raised a concern, and suddenly I was 'not a fit.'
The law calls it → potentially wrongful termination
- I was let go shortly after reporting a problem at work. The law calls it → possible retaliatory termination
- They didn't fire me outright, they made the job impossible until I quit. The law calls it → possible constructive discharge
- The stated reason for my firing doesn't match what actually happened. The law calls it → possible pretext for an unlawful termination
- I escalated a QA concern at a San Diego lab, and my role vanished in the next reorg. The law calls it → possible retaliation or retaliatory termination
These cover fired for an unlawful reason, fired after reporting misconduct, fired in breach of an agreement, pushed out instead of formally fired, retaliation for asserting workplace rights, in any industry. If something here is familiar, you don't have to be sure before you ask.
Illustrative situations, not client accounts.
From San Diego's biotech labs to defense contractors and hospitality employers, California law bars firing a worker for protected complaints and bars terminations that violate fundamental public policy. The Civil Rights Department hears FEHA retaliation complaints for three years, the EEOC hears federal charges for 300 days, and the Tameny court claim carries an independent deadline that only a lawsuit satisfies.
What could taking action help you pursue?
Depending on the facts, legal action may help recover financial losses, address emotional harm, restore employment opportunities, or require workplace changes. Available remedies depend on the facts and applicable law; no outcome is guaranteed.
Recover what you lost
Lost pay, benefits, hours, and employment opportunities tied to the unlawful conduct.
Address the harm
Compensation for emotional distress may be available where the law provides for it.
Restore an opportunity
Some cases may involve reinstatement, promotion, corrected records, or another job-related remedy.
Create accountability
A resolution may include policy changes, training, or other corrective workplace action.
You do not need a perfect record, or even to know whether what happened was illegal, before asking what your options are.
Common concerns we hear from employees
I never reported it to HR.
You may still have legal options. Not reporting immediately does not automatically end your rights, although the specific facts can affect a claim.
I don't have screenshots or witnesses.
You do not need a complete evidence file before contacting us. We can help identify texts, emails, schedules, witnesses, and other evidence that may matter.
I still work there.
You can ask questions while still employed. Retaliating against a worker for opposing unlawful conduct or asserting protected rights may itself be unlawful.
My employer says I was fired for performance. Does that end the issue?
No. The stated reason is evidence, not the final answer. Timing, earlier reviews, shifting explanations, and how coworkers were treated can all show the real reason was retaliation.
Craig J. Ackermann
Shareholder · Admitted in California
Craig Ackermann represents California employees in wage-and-hour class actions, sexual and racial harassment, discrimination, and retaliation matters. He is licensed in California, Washington, and Texas.
Read Craig's full bio →Selected retaliation, discrimination, and harassment results.
$370K
Individual plaintiff · judgment includes fees and costs · Title VII retaliation judgment
Final
$23.5M
Financial-services workforce · 150 women · Sexual harassment settlement
Final · Craig Ackermann served as second chair (prior-firm experience)
$15M+
Apparel industry · individual plaintiff · Gender pay and promotion discrimination
Jury verdict, subject to post-trial proceedings, statutory limits, and appeal. Not a settlement or a collected recovery.
$1.3M
Construction workforce · 19 Black workers · Racial harassment
Final
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different; the value and outcome of your matter will depend on its specific facts.
What happens after you reach out?
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal.
- 01
Talk with us
A short initial conversation about what happened and when.
- 02
We assess the record
We identify possible claims, deadlines and evidence that may matter.
- 03
If we take the case
We handle the filing strategy, negotiations and litigation.
Deadlines can depend on where and how you file
California and federal claims may follow different filing routes. These are general time limits, not sequential steps.
Generally, to file a FEHA retaliation complaint with California's Civil Rights Department.
CRD, Employment ↗Often, to file a federal retaliation charge with the EEOC when state or local law also covers the claim.
EEOC, How to File a Charge ↗Generally, to file a lawsuit after receiving a California CRD right-to-sue notice.
CRD, Obtain a Right to Sue ↗Other claims and exceptions may have different or shorter deadlines. Contact counsel promptly so the applicable dates can be reviewed.
FEHA retaliation and wrongful termination in violation of public policy
Cal. Gov. Code § 12940(h); Tameny v. Atlantic Richfield Co.
Primary source, Cal. Gov. Code § 12940(h); Tameny v. Atlantic Richfield Co. ↗Share what happened in about two minutes. The firm will review your submission and contact you about possible options and next steps. There is no cost or obligation to request a review.
Deadlines and filing issues for workers in San Diego.
- Clearance-dependent and contract-funded roles end abruptly; the paperwork reason and the real reason deserve separate scrutiny, fast.
- Research employers often route disputes to arbitration, which alters the forum while the same deadlines keep running.
- Quality or safety reports inside FDA-regulated companies may trigger overlapping protections, each with different procedure.
- A federal charge filed on day 301 is late even if the state complaint would still be timely for two more years.
- Exit packages at San Diego tech and biotech firms trade signatures for weeks of pay; the waived claims are often worth far more.
Where do you file a wrongful termination claim in San Diego?
California Civil Rights Department
Filing is CENTRALIZED statewide: online via California Civil Rights System (CCRS), phone 800-884-1684, 711 relay, TTY 1-800-700-2320, email contact.center@calcivilrights.ca.gov, or mail to HQ. CRD HQ/mailing is 651 Bannon Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95811.
File online →EEOC San Diego Local Office
San Diego County has its own EEOC office, but most workers file online via the EEOC Public Portal rather than in person.
550 West C Street, Suite 750San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 900-1616 EEOC Public Portal →
San Diego County Superior Court
Central Courthouse1100 Union Street
San Diego, CA 92101
The public-policy tort is filed in court rather than with CRD or the EEOC. A related FEHA retaliation claim may still require an agency charge first.
The filing path, step by step
- 1Assemble the compliance report, complaint, or leave request and match it against the termination date; the gap between them frames every claim.
- 2File the FEHA retaliation complaint through CRD's statewide online system; San Diego filings follow the general three-year window.
- 3Submit the federal charge on the EEOC Public Portal within 300 days; San Diego matters are handled through the EEOC's local presence downtown.
- 4The public-policy tort is filed in San Diego County Superior Court or the Southern District of California, and its limitations period is assessed on its own.
- 5Inventory your employment terms, especially confidentiality, invention, and arbitration provisions common at research employers, before locking in a route.
Wrongful-termination information in other California cities
- FresnoWrongful-termination information
- Long BeachWrongful-termination information
- Los AngelesWrongful-termination information
- Orange CountyWrongful-termination information
- RiversideWrongful-termination information
- SacramentoWrongful-termination information
Asked by San Diego workers.
I flagged a data-integrity problem at a San Diego biotech and was let go in the next cycle. Actionable?
Reporting suspected regulatory violations is protected activity. Timing, the paper trail, and who replaced you determine how strong the retaliation theory is.
My defense-contractor employer says the contract ended. Can that hide retaliation?
Contract turnover is real, and it is also a convenient cover. Whether peers were reassigned while you were cut is usually the telling fact.
Do hospitality workers in San Diego have the same protections?
Yes. FEHA retaliation and public-policy protections apply across industries, from Gaslamp restaurants to research parks.
Where are San Diego employment cases heard?
San Diego County Superior Court for state claims; the Southern District of California for federal claims.