Signs of Retaliation in the Workplace

If you alerted authorities about possible wrongdoing in your California place of business, you may have concerns about whether your employer or coworkers will try to make your work environment unpleasant or otherwise retaliate against you for taking action. At the Fulton Law Corporation, we have a firm understanding of the types of behaviors that constitute workplace retaliation, and we have helped many victims of this type of behavior see appropriate recourse.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, your employer may not lawfully retaliate against you in any manner for exercising a “protected right.” In other words, he or she may not terminate you, demote you or threaten you because you chose to call attention to a dangerous or unlawful occurrence in your place of business, or because you refused to follow orders that would require you to break the law.

You may also be a victim of workplace retaliation if you receive an unfavorable review that does accurately reflect your job performance, or if you fall victim to verbal or physical abuse while on the job. Retaliation may also manifest itself in less obvious ways. For example, you may find yourself the subject of false and malicious rumors circulating around the office or job site, or you may find that your employer tries to hurt you in other ways.

He or she may, for example, cease working with your spouse or sibling’s company, or he or she may modify your schedule to intentionally make it unmanageable for you in an effort to force you to quit your position. More about retaliation and wrongful termination is available on our web page.