Helping Whistleblowers Take Legal Action Against Employers
It takes courage to stand up and report suspected illegal behavior by your employer. If you are being discriminated against after you have reported questionable behavior by your employer, take time to seek the guidance of a skilled employment lawyer.
At Bolek Besser Glesius LLC, our Cleveland employee retaliation attorneys have helped many employees in your situation. You did the right thing, and we will work to ensure that your rights are not violated because of your courage.
Standing Up for Employees Who Assert Their Rights
A wide variety of laws protect employees who engage in what is considered "protected activity." Among many others, these laws all forbid retaliation against whistleblowers:
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4112
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
- The Americans With Disabilities Act
- The Fair Labor Standards Act
- The Family and Medical Leave Act
- The Equal Pay Act
- The Occupational Safety and Health Act
- The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
If an employee has engaged in protected activity, an employer may not take negative action against the employee in order to deter other employees from complaining. Examples of such unlawful retaliation might include:
- Termination, layoff, non-renewal of an employment contract or refusal to hire
- Demotion or denial of a promotion
- Threats and intimidation
- Negative changes in job assignments, benefits and privileges
- Suddenly negative performance evaluations
- Being put on a performance improvement plan
- Revocation of hospital practice privileges for physicians
- Increased employer surveillance
Although ordinary workplace annoyances and slights would not necessarily constitute retaliation, sudden changes in the way an employer treats an employee shortly after the employee has engaged in protected activity may be evidence of retaliation.
Many of the laws protecting whistleblowers require different administrative and procedural steps before an employee may vindicate his or her rights in court. A few of these laws require employees to take certain action within very short windows of time, some as short as 30 days.
Whistleblower Protection Attorneys · Akron, Lorain, Medina
If you feel you have been the victim of retaliation in the workplace, contact the attorneys at Bolek Besser Glesius LLC. We routinely handle retaliation claims under various federal and Ohio laws, and we may be able to help you. Contact us today for a free consultation at 216-245-4216, toll free at 888-389-5955 or by e-mail.
