In the state of California, it is illegal for employers to take any action that harms or damages an employee simply because he has decided to file a complaint or lawsuit against the company due to behaviors that could make him/her uncomfortable or make more difficult their daily work. Labor law protects employees who decide to take these actions when an employer or the company they work for commits an illegal activity, whether it directly affects them or not.
Among the activities that a worker could report are:
- Salary reduction below the minimum
- Unjustified dismissal
- Benefit reduction
- Be reassigned to a lower-ranking position
There are times when employers decide to mistreat or degrade an employee if they learn that the employee chose to file a complaint. They do these through despotic actions such as harassment, bullying, or giving poor ratings and comments about the worker.
Similarly, it will be illegal to take any unlawful action against employees who may participate as witnesses in an investigation with the corresponding authorities and decide to report the same behavior because of what they saw at work to help a colleague. The law protects anyone who participates in the interviews that revolve around the case.
In an unlawful retaliation claim, you could be compensated for the payments you lost due to being fired or the money that was reduced from your salary by transferring or simply reducing your job. Similarly, it will be possible to collect compensation for the emotional damage or suffering that the mistreatment of your employer may have caused.
If you have been through a situation like this, contact our lawyers. They are highly trained in Labor Law, and together, we will fix the injustice of which you have been a victim.
