Can I Collect Unemployment Benefits in California If I Was Wrongfully Terminated?

 

If you were fired for illegal reasons, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits.

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In order to collect unemployment, you must meet two basic requirements. First, you must have earned at least a minimum amount, set by state law, in the time before you lost your job. Second, you must be out of work through no fault of your own. (For more information on each of these requirements, see Who is Eligible for Unemployment Benefits in California?)

If you lose your job in a layoff, reduction-in-force (RIF), or downsizing, you will be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. But what if you are fired? And, what if you are wrongfully terminated -- that is, fired for illegal reasons?  

If You Were Fired 

In some situations, you may still qualify for unemployment benefits in California even if you are fired from your job. For example, if you were fired because you were just a poor fit, you may still be eligible for benefits. 

You may be disqualified from receiving benefits if you were fired for job-related misconduct. California defines misconduct narrowly. All four of the following statements must be true for the Employment Development Department to conclude that you were fired for misconduct:

  • You must owe a material duty to your employer. 
  • You must have committed a substantial breach of that duty. 
  • Your breach must show a wilful or wanton disregard of that duty. 
  • Your breach must disregard the employer's interests and injure or tend to injure the employer's interests.

For example, it is not enough for an employer to state that you were fired for being absent. The Employment Development Department will consider whether you had permission to be absent, whether you had a compelling reason to be absent, and whether you had received prior warnings or reprimands. 

You may be disqualified either for a set number of weeks or until you get another job and earn a minimum amount, depending on state law. In some states, the length of the disqualification period depends on why you were fired. You can learn more about how disqualification works in California in the Unemployment Insurance: A Guide to Benefits and Employment Services

If You Were Wrongfully Terminated

Sometimes employers fire employees for reasons that are illegal, such as an employee’s refusal to submit to sexual harassment or reporting unsafe working conditions to a government agency. If you were fired for protected reasons like these, you may have been wrongfully terminated. 

The definition of “wrongful termination” varies from state to state. If you believe your employer fired you without a good reason or for an illegal reason, you may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits in California. In this situation, you may want to speak to an employment lawyer, not only to find out whether you can collect unemployment, but also to learn about your other legal rights. For example, if you were wrongfully terminated, you may be entitled to reinstatement, money damages, and more. See Do I Need a Lawyer to Get Unemployment Benefits in California? to learn more; if you decide to talk to a lawyer, see How Can I Find an Unemployment Lawyer in California?

If you believe you were fired because you complained about your employer's violation of wage and hour laws (like the laws entitling employees to overtime, the minimum wage, tips, breaks, and so on), visit our site on minimum wage and overtime law, which includes information on your rights to fair pay and how to find a lawyer if you think your employer owes you wages.

If you were denied unemployment benefits and you believe you were wrongfully terminated, you may want to appeal the decision. See Can I Appeal a Denial of Unemployment Benefits in California? for information on filing an appeal.


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Jurisdictional relevance: ST

There are versions of this article for each State.