National Guard member sues Wells Fargo, alleges firing over military duty

On March 14, 2026, the complaint states, Wells Fargo terminated the worker during a meeting his manager scheduled that morning – the day after he had taken approved paid time off. The bank said the termination was performance-related but gave no real explanation, according to the filing. He was told he would get termination paperwork by email. All he received was information about continuing his health insurance under COBRA.

Wells Fargo cut off his laptop access immediately, the complaint states, blocking him from the records that documented his work, his performance, his leave requests, and his exchanges with his manager.

The complaint argues the performance rationale was a pretext – a cover story for the real reason. It points to several threads: the worker performed his duties as directed by audit leads; he was not the lead on the projects held against him; the firing came roughly three months after a single informal warning with no follow-up discipline; and Wells Fargo did not contest his unemployment benefits claim, which the filing calls inconsistent with a genuine for-cause termination.

Both claims allege the violations were willful, noting that the worker disclosed his military service at hire and expressly told his manager in writing on October 6, 2025 that his military time was protected by law.

The complaint names both Wells Fargo and the manager individually. Under USERRA, anyone to whom an employer delegates employment-related responsibilities – things like approving leave, writing performance reviews, participating in firing decisions – can be held personally liable. The filing alleges the manager held exactly that kind of authority over the worker.