As a dedicated employee, you have certain legal rights to which you have a right. Despite this, there are sadly far too many instances where an employer responds unfavorably to an employee’s conduct, which state or federal law protects. Examples of situations where this illegal response often occurs include the aftermath to filing a complaint for discrimination or harassment, any form of whistleblowing regarding a potentially illegal activity and reporting unsafe work conditions at your place of employment.
If you are a victim of these scenarios or any form of workplace retaliation, you have the right to pursue justice and compensation for the wrongdoing. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), workplace retaliation represents the largest source of complaints the entity receives. These complaints often involve forms of intentional retaliation, where an employer intentionally makes changes to an employee’s job duties in response to the employee’s conduct. Other cases involve unintentional retaliation, when an employer makes matters worse in spite of attempting to provide help.
Specific acts that can qualify as workplace retaliation
There are a multitude of different adverse actions that are unlawful for your employer to take in response to any form of conduct that was within your rights as an employee. These can include the following and more:
- Termination of your employment
- Any form of job demotion
- Suspension without pay
- Reduction of your work hours or job duties
- Intentional negative reviews of your work performance
- Drastic changes in your workload
- Constant micromanaging that borders on harassment
- Relocation of your work area to an undesirable place
If you suspect that any of the actions above were on purpose to force you to quit, you have the right to file a workplace retaliation claim.
Where to turn for help and support
In addition to filing a formal workplace retaliation claim, you also have the right to hold your employer legally accountable for its actions. While the prospect of this may seem daunting, there are professional resources readily available to help guide you through every step of this process. An experienced California employment law attorney can carefully evaluate your unique circumstances, answer all of your questions and concerns, and aggressively pursue the maximum amount of compensation to which you are entitled for any injustice or wrongdoing by your employer.
