Legal Question in Employment Law in California
I was terminated for having a service animal while working for a company with an open door policy did ALL animals. After reviewing my personal emails that they went through upon terminating me, they’re argument is “well we would’ve fired you anyway.” I retained counsel and my lawyer wants to settle right away and I don’t feel comfortable settling, because I know this is illegal and I feel like my attorney just wants a quick buck. She said she won’t take this to litigation. So I want a second opinion.
1 Answer from Attorneys
There are several "ifs" that are not addressed in your post that a lawyer will consider. How long did you work there? Did you receive any commendations or merit raises? Did you supervise others? Did you have extremely responsible job duties? Was there ever any counseling or warning? Are you over 40 years old (age discrimination?)?
If you are dissatisfied with your attorney's actions, I suggest that you first have a heart-to-heart to get a better understanding of what the attorney's considerations are. If you remain dissatisfied, then you certainly can change attorneys. Also, you should keep in mind that you have a relatively short time to file a discrimination claim with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, so move quickly if possible.