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Q.My employer fired me without cause, is that wrongful termination?
A.Absent a written contract to the contrary, all states except Montana, an employer can fire any worker for any reason, or for no reason, as long as it is not for an illegal reason. Under the "employment-at-will." doctrine, employees are free to quit anytime and employers are free to fire employees for any reason, or no reason at all, as long as it is not an illegal reason. If the employer acted in violation of a clearly established public policy (discrimination or retaliation), California courts will now recognize a tort of wrongful termination.
If you have a specific (generally written) contract of employment, you may be able to enforce that. If your contract does not specify either a term of years, or tenure, then the company was free to terminate it, without notice, and to inform you that your job is eliminated or hire someone else the next day.
If you fired without cause, you may be entitled to unemployment compensation benefits.
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