There are many laws that protect whistle blowers from having to endure retaliation from their employers as a consequence for reporting illegal activity. If you are a whistle blower, it’s important for you to know your rights and responsibilities concerning retaliation so that you know exactly what to do if it happens to you. Here are three common examples of retaliation situations that may signal the need for a lawyer:
1. If you have become a whistle blower in your company, your employer may retaliate against you by purposely creating a hostile work environment. This means that your employer may ignore your complaints if co-workers are harassing you or treating you badly, or that your boss begins micromanaging you or working to turn others against you. If your employer is engaging in or allowing this behavior as a way of retaliating against you, it is a serious legal matter and you are protected under federal whistle blower laws.
2. If your employer is taking obvious negative actions against you close to the time of you filing your complaint or report, then you need to hire a lawyer. This obvious negative action could include firing you from your job, or demoting you to a lower position in the company in order to punish you for what you’ve done. If the reasons for your termination or demotion are unsubstantiated, this counts as illegal retaliatory action and should not be tolerated.
3. You may also need a lawyer if your employer has taken not-so-obvious negative action against you after you have reported illegal activity. This type of action could include exclusion from projects, being passed over for promotions, getting bad performance reviews, or being moved to an unfavorable department or shift. It is important for you to recognize this activity and take the appropriate legal action to stop it from happening.
Taking action against a boss who is retaliating against you for reporting illegal activity can be intimidating. You may be concerned about losing your job or being ostracized in the workplace, but you shouldn’t let your fear stop you from doing the right thing. Hiring a retaliation lawyer to help you with the legal process can give you the confidence you need to move forward and ensure that justice is served.
