Workplace Retaliation Attorney Cleveland, Ohio
Retaliation in the workplace is a constant problem and often results from personality conflicts or misguided professional competition. Retaliation becomes illegal — that is, something worth talking with a Cleveland-based retaliation attorney about — when adverse employment actions are motivated by discrimination or an intent to punish the employee for exercising his or her legally protected rights.
Discrimination is not allowed when it involves an employee’s race, nationality, ethnicity, sex, gender, age (over 40), religion, disability status, military service or pregnancy. Increasingly, courts are recognizing discrimination against LGBT individuals as illegal. Cleveland retaliation attorneys Rachel Sabo and Peter Friedmann have represented workers throughout Cleveland and the surrounding area in a variety of workplace retaliation cases.
Retaliation for exercising legal rights may be related to discrimination. As the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission explains, a current or fired employee may have grounds for a retaliation lawsuit when a manager or supervisor takes retaliatory action because the employee:
- Filed an EEOC claim alleging discrimination.
- Participated in an investigation into an EEOC claim, whether the claim is his/her own or was brought by someone else.
- Filed a complaint about discrimination with a supervisor or human resources rep.
- Complained about or reported harassment based on a protected class.
- Refused to comply with policies or instructions that would result in discrimination.
- Refused demands for dates or sexual favors in order to get or keep a job.
- Requested accommodations for religious reasons.
- Requested accommodations for disabilities.
- Submitted leave requests or used authorized leave for a medical issue or disability.
- Discussed pay issues with co-workers or managers when the intent was to discover inequities.
Examples of illegal retaliation include:
- Creating false or excessive reports of policy violations by the employee after an employee has engaged in protected activity.
- Sabotaging work done by the employee.
- Lowering the employee’s performance evaluations below what his or her actual performance merits.
- Transferring the employee to dangerous, dirty, or low-status tasks.
- Abusing the employee verbally or physically.
- Filing a false police report against the employee.
- Subjecting the employee to inordinate supervision.
- Spreading rumors about the employee or the employee’s family.
- Making the employee’s job or working conditions so miserable that he or she quits.
- Firing the employee for retaliatory reasons.
The last two examples of retaliation are called wrongful termination. The victim of a wrongful termination can often bring legal claims for both the illegal firing and the acts of retaliation that preceded the termination. At The Friedmann Firm, we’ll provide a Cleveland retaliation attorney well-versed in employment law to clients seeking financial retribution.
Contact a Top Rated Workplace Retaliation Attorney in Cleveland, Ohio
We have not listed every reason for or type of workplace retaliation here. If you work in or around Cleveland and suspect that your managers and supervisors have violated your rights to keep a job without experiencing discrimination or retaliation, feel free to contact a Friedman Firm Cleveland employment attorney.
We offer confidential consultations on all matters related to employee rights, and we are available to assist workers across Ohio. Call us at 440.703.8550 or connect with us online to schedule an appointment.
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