I was fired from a company and was not given a reason. When I asked why, all I was told was “its not working out”.

Question

I was fired from a company and was not given a reason. When I asked why, all I was told was “its not working out”. With that answer, it makes me think that the higher ups at the company were not happy with the time off I was taking. About 95% of the time I took off was pre-approved. I know the director had an issue with my taking so much time off and he made it known to my manager (who always approved my time off). I was also the only openly gay person in our warehouse. I feel like I was singled out for those two reasons. I didn’t have any warning this was coming nor have I ever been disciplined for anything with this company. I don’t know if I have anything here or if I am up the creek without a paddle.

Neil Pedersen · Answer

Asker beware.  The response to your question by Mr. Arrasmith is AI "assisted" and should be viewed with caution.  On another Q&A site, this attorney includes a disclaimer to each of his answers that say the following: "PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON THIS ANSWER. It may be incorrect, and I do not guarantee its correctness. You should ALWAYS have a consultation with a qualified attorney in your area. Important disclaimer: This answer was generated with the help of artificial intelligence ("A.I."). I am a real human being and a real attorney, but I fully disclose that I use artificial intelligence to help create my answers, and artificial intelligence is oftentimes incorrect and should certainly not be relied upon in any way, shape, or form." AI is not all it is cracked up to be. Good luck to you.

James L. Arrasmith · Answer

In California, as an "at-will" employment state, employers can terminate employment without stating a reason. However, they cannot fire you for discriminatory reasons, including sexual orientation, or in retaliation for using approved time off. 
 
Your situation raises some red flags - the lack of prior discipline, the apparent targeting over approved time off, and potentially being singled out as the only openly gay employee. These factors could indicate wrongful termination, especially if you can document the director's comments about your time off or any patterns of different treatment compared to other employees. 
 
You should gather all documentation of your approved time off requests, any communications about your performance, and any instances where you felt treated differently. Consider filing a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) and consulting with an employment lawyer who can review your specific case details. Many employment lawyers offer free initial consultations, and some may take cases on contingency if they believe you have a strong claim.

Q: I was fired from a company and was not given a reason. When I asked why, all I was told was “its not working out”.