Practice areas / Pasadena
Pasadena Wrongful Termination Lawyer
Being let go in Pasadena does not by itself give you a claim — California is an at-will state. What matters is the reason behind it, and some reasons the law does not allow. Justin Silverman represents workers, never employers, in sorting out which is which.
Justin’s office is in Sherman Oaks, and there is no Pasadena office. California employment law is statewide, so where in the state you work does not decide whether he can represent you.
Tell Justin what happened
You'll hear back within one business day, or call 818-585-1267.
Where the law draws the line
California’s workplace protections apply in Pasadena exactly as they do anywhere else in the state, the law is statewide, and so is Justin’s practice. What differs city to city is the local wage floor and what has actually been happening to workers there, both of which are below.
- Fired for an unlawful reasonDiscrimination, retaliation, or a firing that breaks a statute or a real contract.
- Harassment or discriminationIncluding a hostile work environment, under FEHA.
- Unpaid wages or overtimeMissed breaks, off-the-clock work, and final pay that arrived late.
- Punished for speaking upRetaliation can be a claim of its own, separate from what you reported.
The common thread is that the employer did something the law forbids, not merely something that felt unfair. Start with wrongful termination in California.
Layoffs on record in Pasadena
Employers planning a mass layoff in California have to file advance notice with the state, and those filings are public. 5 employers have notices on file listing a Pasadena address — 17 notices covering 334 workers, filed between Jul 7, 2025 and Jul 7, 2026.
- Amazon134 workers · notice Jan 28, 2026
- IPIC Theaters91 workers · notice Feb 2, 2026
- Vons Companies55 workers · notice Jul 7, 2026
- Kaiser Foundation Hospitals39 workers · notice Oct 6, 2025
- Wescom Financial15 workers · notice Feb 19, 2026
Listed because each appears in California’s published WARN data with an address in Pasadena, as retrieved on Aug 20, 2026. Naming an employer here is not a statement that it did anything unlawful, and this firm is not affiliated with any of them. A layoff is lawful on its own; whether a particular notice fell short of what the law required depends on the facts. What the WARN Act requires, or see the full California layoff tracker.
Who actually employs people in Pasadena
Pasadena publishes its largest employers each year in its audited financial report. For scale, the 334 workers named on the WARN filings above are roughly 0.3% of about 110,000 jobs in the city.
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Caltech — Jet Propulsion Laboratory | 5,029 |
| Kaiser Permanente | 4,508 |
| Caltech — Campus | 3,925 |
| Huntington Memorial Hospital | 3,878 |
| Pasadena City College | 3,149 |
| City of Pasadena | 2,380 |
| Pasadena Unified School District | 2,236 |
| Art Center College of Design | 851 |
| Pacific Clinics Administration | 224 |
City of Pasadena Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, FY2025. Employee counts are a point-in-time figure for that fiscal year. Listing an employer here says nothing about how it treats its workers, and this firm is not affiliated with any of them.
What you have to be paid in Pasadena
Pasadena sets its own minimum wage of $18.57 an hour, above California’s $16.90, and it applies by where you work rather than where you live. The rates, their effective dates, and who they cover are on the Pasadena minimum wage page.
Whatever the floor, daily overtime, duty-free breaks, accurate pay stubs, and expense reimbursement sit on top of it. Estimate what you may be owed with the overtime calculator or the waiting time penalty calculator.
Wage cases already concluded in Pasadena
The U.S. Department of Labor publishes the wage cases it closes. In Pasadena, 2 employers have agreed to pay a total of $366,560 in back wages covering 94 workers.
- Corpuz Pineda Staffing Services, Inc.$260,060 agreed · 73 workers
- Entre Nous French Bistro$106,500 agreed · 21 workers
Concluded federal cases as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, retrieved Aug 1, 2026. These are agreed outcomes, not allegations, and this firm was not involved in them. Worth knowing: a federal case recovers federal minimums only. California’s daily overtime, meal and rest premiums, pay-stub and waiting-time penalties, and PAGA are not part of that figure — which is why a worker at one of these employers may still be owed more. The full wage-theft record.
If you have just lost the job
Unemployment in Los Angeles County ran 5.3% in June 2026, against 5.2% statewide. It is context rather than advice, but it is worth knowing when you are weighing how quickly you need to accept something.
America’s Job Center of California is the state’s no-cost network for people who have been laid off: help filing and keeping unemployment benefits, federally funded retraining, and résumé and interview coaching. There is one in Pasadena.
Foothill Employment and Training Connection (opens in a new tab)
1207 E Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91106 · 626-796-5627
Directory: U.S. Department of Labor. Locations and hours change — confirm before visiting.
Questions people ask
Were the recent Pasadena layoffs given enough notice?
Of the 17 WARN notices on file with a Pasadena address, 8 show fewer than 60 days between the notice date and the last day of work. That is a fact about the filing, not a finding that any employer broke the law — California's notice rules carry exceptions, and whether a short gap matters depends on the employer and what else happened. It is a reason to have the paperwork read rather than assume.
Do I need a lawyer in Pasadena to handle a Pasadena case?
No. California employment claims are brought under state law, and a lawyer licensed in California can represent you wherever in the state you work. Justin's office is in Sherman Oaks and he represents workers throughout California, Pasadena included.
Can I be fired without a reason in Pasadena?
Usually yes — California is at-will, so an employer generally needs no reason. What it cannot do is act on an unlawful one.
What does a consultation cost?
Nothing, and it is confidential. There is no fee unless we win, and no costs if there is no recovery.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
It depends on the claim. Some deadlines run in months rather than years, and several require an administrative filing first — which is why it is worth asking early.
Other California cities and counties
Justin represents workers throughout California, not only in Pasadena. The office is in Sherman Oaks, and these are the other local pages on this site.
Free case review
Talk to Justin about your Pasadena case
Free, confidential, and no obligation. Justin responds personally, and there is no fee unless we win.
General information about California law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Page reviewed ; layoff data as retrieved .