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Legal Information: California

Workplace Protections

Updated: 
January 11, 2024

After taking time off from work under this law, I was one of many people laid off by my employer. Is this legal?

The law says that your employer cannot fire you or punish you because you took off time from work to address your crime or abuse issues.1 However, your employer can still fire you or punish you for other valid reasons, such as budget cuts, not doing your job well, or reasons that have nothing to do with your crime or abuse situation.

Note: Sometimes, an employer will offer a fake reason for firing someone, to hide the real reason. If you have facts or evidence that (1) your employer is not being truthful about why they fired you, and (2) that the real reason they fired you was because you took off time for issues related to a crime or abuse, then you might want to contact an attorney who specializes in employment discrimination or the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission.

1 Cal.Labor Code §§ 230(c); 230.1(a)