Legal Question in Employment Law in California

It would have been legal for them to simply fire you on the spot. It would have been legal for them to cut your hours or fire you any time before you gave notice, as long as it was not for a discriminatory purpose prohibited by law, such as racial discrimination. Do you really think you suddenly get a free pass from "at will" employment just because you give notice? You are fortunate that they did not just say, "you don't want to work here anymore, then we don't need you" to save two weeks of their share of your benefits.

It is 'allowed' for them to immediately terminate you and walk you out. Anything less is to your benefit.

By the way "two week resignation" is really about people just taking all their accumulated time off so they can walk out the day they give notice and get paid before they leave for good.