Walnut Creek Retaliation for Complaints Lawyer
Every employee has certain rights that they are allowed to exercise as a worker under California and federal laws. One such right is the right to make complaints against their employer for illegal or unethical activity without fear of retaliation. However, some employers will choose to retaliate against employees and open themselves up to a lawsuit for their actions. If you or someone you know has faced retaliation for voicing a valid complaint at work, you need the experienced Walnut Creek retaliation for complaints lawyers by your side. Call or contact Venardi Zurada, LLP today to schedule a consultation of your case.
Legal Complaints in the Workplace
An employee has the right to make a complaint to internal human resources or to an outside entity about workplace discrimination, harassment, or other illegal conduct. Outside entities can include the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or law enforcement, and the law protects employees that make a complaint so long as they do so in good faith, even if ultimately it is determined that an employer did not engage in unethical or illegal activity.
Relatedly, employees are also protected by state and federal law who cooperate as witnesses in an investigation about harassment, discrimination, or other illegal activity in the workplace. An employer is not allowed to retaliate against a worker who makes a complaint or who participates in an investigation about a complaint made by another employee. Employees who are retaliated against for these actions can seek damages from their employer, and an experienced California employment law attorney can help.
What is Employer Retaliation?
Employer retaliation comes in many forms, but generally speaking retaliation is any adverse employment action taken by the employer against their employee for engaging in a legally protected activity, such as filing a complaint or participating in a complaint investigation. Employer retaliation can range from the subtle, like altering work hours or assigning an impossible workload, to the extreme, where an employee is fired for their protected activity. Some of the most common examples of workplace retaliation include the following:
- Altering work hours,
- Assigning impossible workloads,
- Reassignment to a undesirable location,
- Disciplinary action,
- Poor performance reviews,
- Demotion,
- Refusal to promote,
- Refusal to train,
- Refusal to provide mentorship opportunities,
- Suspension, and
- Wrongful termination.
If any of these actions have happened to you after making a complaint about your employer, you may be entitled to compensation for the harm caused by their adverse employment actions. Damages may include back and front pay, reinstatement, promotion, income and benefit increases, and more.
Talk to Venardi Zurada, LLP Now
Did you make a complaint against your employer about harassment, discrimination, or other illegal or unethical acts and are now facing retaliation because of it? If so, the Walnut Creek retaliation for complaints lawyers at Venardi Zurada, LLP are here to take on your case. Call the office or contact us today to speak with one of our knowledgeable employment law attorneys and schedule an evaluation of your claims.
