How You Can Deal With Being The Victim Of Workplace Retaliation
Posted on: 31 March 2021
Do you feel like your employer is taking unlawful actions against you in retaliation for a complaint or claim you made? If so, this can be a complicated thing to deal with and prove that it is happening to you. Here are some things to know about how you can deal with the retaliation that is happening.
Know The Difference Between Unfair And Unlawful Actions
The first thing that you need to do is understand that there is a difference between unfair and unlawful actions that are taken against you. For example, if you are taken off the schedule and given fewer hours because you have a bad track record of showing up to work late, that is a situation that is unfair to you but doesn't break the law. However, if your hours are reduced after complaining about workplace safety violations, that could be considered unlawful and a form of workplace retaliation.
Gather Evidence
It's important that you gather the evidence that you need to prove you are a victim of workplace retaliation. In the example of having a concern about workplace safety, was it a written statement or something that was verbally said? If it was verbally said, were there any witnesses to that verbal statement that would be willing to go on record for you? Try to gather as much evidence as you can, since you may not have access to it at a later date.
Notify The Company
If you are still working with your employer, it is important that you give them a written notification of the workplace retaliation. It's important that there is a written record of your notice so that you can later provide evidence that they were notified and the date that it happened. This notification does not need to go into the legal reasons about why you feel that your employer is retaliating against you but simply and politely state that it is happening. At this point, the HR department may see what is going on and take steps to stop the workplace retaliation from happening. The company may also continue doing what they are doing, because they do not feel like they are in the wrong.
Get A Lawyer Involved
If the workplace retaliation does not stop or you are fired from your job, your next step should be to hire a lawyer to help fight for your situation. Unlawful actions that are taken against you from a protected activity could result in a settlement in court so that the employer learns from their actions. To learn more, contact a firm such as Shakouri Law Firm.
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