Did retaliation cost you your job?

You count on your job to survive. You need to pay your bills and get the things you need. Without your job, you can’t do that. Now, you have a problem because you either lost your job or your employment terms changed.

If the changes in your employment terms or your termination was because of retaliatory reasons, you might be able to take action to correct the issue. Retaliation is illegal. If you think that you have been retaliated against, make sure you review these points.

What is retaliation?

Retaliation means that the employer took negative action against you because you filed a legitimate complaint about something that was going on. Examples of this are if you see sexual harassment, law violations or other illegal activities. You might also face retaliation for refusing to do an illegal activity or for refusing advances of a sexual nature. Retaliation is also possible after filing a workers’ compensation claim. When you make a complaint about these, you should be able to do so without fearing that the employer will take negative actions against your employment status.

What are some of the negative actions that might occur?

Being terminated because of filing a complaint is a retaliatory measure. Changing your shift to a less favorable one, demoting you, cutting your pay, or giving you a less desirable job are all examples of retaliation. Being written up is another action that is retaliatory.

How do I know if I’ve been retaliated against?

One way that you will know is if negative action is taken shortly after you making a complaint or refusing to do something illegal. If you have gotten positive performance evaluations in the past and all of a sudden find yourself in trouble after you make a complaint or refusal, you might be the victim of retaliation. Verbal or physical abuse are also signs of retaliations that you must take action regarding. Other signs of retaliation can include the employer speaking down to you or speaking negatively of you to others.

What should I do if I’m the victim of retaliation?

The first thing you should do is to find out your rights and possible actions that you can take. You will likely need to file a complaint about the retaliation. While it might be tempting to try to handle everything on your own, it is a good idea to get a lawyer who can make sure that your interests are protected during the process. The lawyer could also handle communications about the retaliation and what types of resolutions you might find agreeable.

Source: Nov. 30, -0001