California Order to Show Cause — Government Employee is a legal document issued by a California court to compel a government employee to appear before the court to explain why he or she should not be disciplined or discharged from a job. The order is usually issued when an employee is accused of misconduct such as dishonesty, insubordination, or failure to perform duties. The order may require the employee to answer questions or provide documents in order to explain why the disciplinary action should not be taken. There are two types of California Order to Show Cause — Government Employee: a pre-disciplinary order and a post-disciplinary order. A pre-disciplinary order is issued prior to any disciplinary action being taken, while a post-disciplinary order is issued after the disciplinary action has been taken.