Employees may believe they can premise a defamation case on their employment termination. However, Hearn v. Pac. Gas & Elec. Co., 108 Cal. App. 5th 301 (2025), holds otherwise. On Jan. 24, 2025, California's First District Court of Appeal reversed a $2.1 million jury verdict against PG&E for a defamation claim brought by a former employee. In doing so, the court clarified the applicable legal standard for the recovery of tort remedies in the employment context.