It is your right to make a complaint of discrimination, no matter what type of discrimination it is. Some employers do not appreciate an employee who they feel interferes with their business, and the response is an act of revenge dressed up as an ordinary management decision. Many people are unsure whether what happened to them counts, because retaliatory acts are so commonplace that the negative behavior barely registers as unlawful conduct at the time it happens.
Lead attorney on every case we take, backed by a dedicated legal team you work with directly.
The examples are familiar once you see them. An employee complains that co-workers are sexually harassing her and other women, the supervisor feigns compassion and tips off the co-workers, the harassment gets worse, and then her hours are cut, supposedly to avoid the harassment. Or an employee loses a discrimination case, returns to work, and receives a poor review as punishment. A boss cannot retaliate for a failed claim, no matter how baseless the court found the underlying claim to be. Or co-workers are summoned to testify at a discrimination trial, tell the truth because perjury laws leave them no choice, and lose their jobs when they return.
After a retaliatory act you may feel defeated, and that is exactly the point of it. Your employer wants to hurt you for speaking out, to deter anyone else from speaking out or participating in a legal proceeding, and to make you drop your efforts. Do not let an employer coerce you into keeping quiet. We investigate the full pattern of conduct rather than one incident in isolation, assign a lead attorney and a dedicated legal team to every case, and are ready to fight for your full compensation as allowed by law. If you are tired from fighting, allow us to make all the noise for you.
Retaliation is not merely for outlaws and members of the criminal underbelly, as silly as that sounds. Retaliation is an act of revenge by an employer. Some employers do not appreciate an individual who “interferes” with their business. It is the employee’s right to make a complaint of discrimination – no matter the type of discrimination.
Common Examples of Workplace Retaliation
Many people are unsure whether they have been the victim of retaliation. Often, retaliatory acts are so commonplace that many people think nothing of the negative behavior. Some common examples of retaliation include:
An employee goes to their boss and complains that their co-workers are engaging in sexually harassing behavior against her and other female employees. The supervisor feigned compassion. The first chance they got, they informed the co-workers of the complaint. The harassment got worse. Your boss gives you fewer hours. The boss says that it is to avoid the harassment. This is retaliation for making a complaint of sexual harassment.
An employer and employee are in a battle over an alleged discriminatory act. The court found that there was no actionable discriminatory act. The employee goes back to work. Their boss gives them a poor review in the next review. It is punishment for making a claim. Even though the court dismissed the underlying claim, a boss cannot retaliate for a failed claim. This is true no matter how baseless the court found the underlying claim.
Co-workers of an ex-employee may testify at a discrimination trial. The co-workers still work for the employer in question. Co-workers received a summons to appear and testify. Failing to appear could result in a court order against them or even jail if they refused to testify. The co-workers cannot lie about the treatment due to perjury laws. As a result, they cooperate and are honest about the discriminatory treatment. When the co-workers return to work following the trial, they find that they have lost their jobs. This is retaliation and illegal.
Act Immediately
Following a retaliatory act, you might be feeling a number of emotions including defeat. That is the point of retaliation. Your boss or employer wants to hurt you for daring to speak out against them. They also want to deter anyone else from speaking out or participating in a legal proceeding. Likewise, retaliating is a hope that you will drop your efforts.
This is bullying behavior, and it is illegal. Do not let your employers coerce you into keeping quiet. Even if you feel tired from fighting, do not worry. Allow us to make all the noise for you. We are ready to fight for your full compensation as allowed by law.
