Sometimes, employers are vindictive, and it crosses the line into being illegal if you have rightfully questioned them about shorting your wages or discriminating against a protected group. You may have become so frustrated that you filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and your employer is doubling down on retaliating against you.
Our employment attorneys understand the skewed balance of power. Your employer can fire or mistreat you, but you know you cannot do the same after standing up for your rights. Any adverse treatment your employer subjects you to could be considered retaliation, and the Clearwater workplace retaliation lawyers at the Feldman Legal Group can right that wrong for you.
Actions Amounting to Retaliation
Retaliation involves an employer who is outraged because an employee files a wage or discrimination complaint or speaks directly to a company representative or human resources department about unfair treatment. As retaliation, a disgruntled employer often:
- Disparages or threatens the employee in front of others or in private
- Reassigns the employee to the worst shift or duties
- Gives the employee negative performance reviews with no explanation
- Encourages other employees to harass the employee
- Singles out the employee for firing with no explanation
- Subjects the employee to constant criticism of their work
Being subjected to intolerable treatment during the workday is stressful and unfair, especially if the reason is that the employee has not received all their wages, is pointing out discrimination, has been denied leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, or is acting as a whistleblower when an employer’s bad acts are widespread. Mitchell Feldman has created a culture among the Feldman Legal Group that champions the underdog, assesses their situation, and rectifies the problem of Clearwater workplace retaliation by representing clients in regulatory hearings and filing the lawsuits necessary for complete compensation.
Pay Disputes Often Lead to Retaliation
Georgia’s minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, and the federal minimum is $7.25. Some unscrupulous employers try to convince employees that they are only obligated to pay the lesser amount as a Georgia business. This is not true. They are obligated to pay the higher amount, and time and a half for overtime in any 40-hour workweek. Filing complaints with the EEOC or FLSA will clear the way for a lawsuit if a regulatory hearing confirms an employee is right, and if the employer retaliates because a complaint is filed, additional compensation may be available. The Feldman Legal Group Clearwater attorneys provide compassionate and aggressive representation for workplace retaliation and will fight for the most compensation available.
Filing Lawsuits for Workplace Retaliation
When a Clearwater employee files a lawsuit for employer retaliation, the plaintiff’s attorney must prove the employee was engaged in a protected activity, such as acting as a whistleblower for discrimination or wage theft. The plaintiff’s attorney must also prove the employer engaged in adverse actions as retaliation and there is a link between the protected acts and retaliation. Employers will not admit retaliation, but timing and lack of another explanation for it can be offered as evidence. Employees can recover their lost wages and benefits, as well as for their pain, suffering, and attorney’s fees. In some cases, punitive damages may be available.
A Clearwater Workplace Retaliation Lawyer Champions Fair Play
You work hard for your wages, and they should be paid, including the federal minimum and overtime. If you observe discrimination or are a target of it in the workplace, you have the right to report it to a regulatory agency and, perhaps, file a lawsuit if your employer retaliates.
If you are the victim of workplace retaliation, a Clearwater workplace retaliation lawyer from the Feldman Legal Group is standing by to champion your cause. We fight for justice. Call now to learn more.
(877) 946-8293