In Shuer v. County of San Diego (2004) 117 Cal.App.4th 476, "the charter and rules repeatedly state that all employment decisions must be made on the basis of 'job related qualifications, merit and equal opportunity without regard to age, color, creed, disability, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, or any other non-job-related factor.' (San Diego County Charter, art. IX, 901; Civil Service Rules, rule 6.1.1.)" (Shuer, supra, 117 Cal.App.4th at p. 485.) Guided by that definition, Shuer found a decision to dismiss an employee "for revealing unethical or illegal conduct by county employees is to discriminate against her based on a non-job-related factor." (Ibid.)