The majority of the Labor Code Statutes and IWC Orders allow one year from the occurrence of the adverse action to file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner. There are certain key activities to perform and forms to fill out before, during and after a termination of an employee takes place.Under California's at-will employment law, a business may terminate a worker without providing a reason for the dismissal. California's labor laws protect all workers, regardless of immigration status. The first step in the wage complaint process is to fill out a Form 1 labor board complaint. You will typically need to also fill out a Form 55 attachment. The fact is that most terminations are lawful under California employment laws because California is an "at will" employment state. Your public employer must notify you, in writing, that it intends to terminate your employment or take other serious disciplinary action against you. When an employee is terminated for an illegal reason, this can be generically referred to as a "wrongful termination. Dedicated Oakland Employer Defense Firm Fights Wage and Hour Claims.