Retaliation at Work in New York
It seems so high school. You tell on someone for doing something wrong and they try to get back at you. But when the high school quad meets the New York workplace, the revenge for reporting is actually called retaliation. And it’s illegal.
Let’s start from the beginning. An employee reports a situation, an employee experiences negative repercussions that he or she believes is the result of vocalizing their concerns.
There is not one specific type of reporting that makes a retaliation situation illegal. Rather, when an employee reports to supervisors about a workplace issue and then has some sort of adverse reaction take place…that is a form of retaliation. That means that reporting any type of employment discrimination (whether against the employee or someone else), illegal pay practices, harassment or other workplace issue is something that is not only encouraged but protected. I should also point out that whether the initial complaint is true or not is completely irrelevant when it comes to retaliation in the workplace issue.
Just like there are so many types of reporting protected under state and federal retaliation laws, there are also various types of retaliation situations to look out for. Firing, demotion and reduced pay are just a few of the forms of retaliation that an employee may experience from reporting.
Reporting a company’s potentially illegal activities should be something an employee feels comfortable discussing and a company feels compelled to listen to and fix. If you are concerned that you have been retaliated against, give us a call.
