Got fired right after my vacation. Can I still get paid for the time I was on vacation?

I work for a small company in CALIFORNIA and there is no employee handbook setting the policies on whether the employee gets paid on vacation or how the employer can discharge employees. I did, however, asked my boss before I left for my vacation to see if I'd get paid during the days I was on vacation. He told me he'd pay me out of his own pocket and not from company payroll because he does not want his wife to find out (his wife is very stingy). So I went on my vacation this whole time thinking that I'd get paid one way or another for the time I was gone.





Today's Friday, I just came back from my 2.5 week vacation and was planning to return to work the following Monday. To my surprise, my boss' wife just called my cell phone right after I got back home from the airport and said I don't have to go to work anymore.





What are my rights here? Am I still entitled to get paid for the days I was on vacation?|||California law requires employers to pay out any accrued vacation time to an employee immediately upon termination, regardless of the reason for termination. The state of California is very generous to their employees and will side with the employee over the employer for most cases.





You should contact your employer and demand they pay you, otherwise you need to contact an attorney and they will take care of it for you immediately.|||call the Department of Labor in your state. firing by cell phone is not right (unless you work for a temp agency, and they just screw around with your life, anyway). You need to know the labor laws in CA on that one.|||This sounds like a family problem,not an employer. I would call whoever owns the business and see about getting the job back or looking at a severance package. This seems like a business with no fut re. How can you trust them? Maybe it was what you needed to find a more reliable employer.





You are probably depending on the good nature or conscience of you boss as to whether you get paid. Unless you had a contract with the company it was probably an 'at will' arrangement. I really would suggest you check out the businesses and their backgrounds before you jump into another job. Employment is two way. Just because someone may hire you, does not mean it is a good place to be.|||well since your boss was going to pay you out of his pocket I really don't think you will. Go to your ex boss and find out why you were fired. and ask him if he still is going to pay you. good luck.