Protection Against Workplace Retaliation

Federal and Ohio law protects employees from workplace retaliation. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against those employees who exercise their legal rights in the workplace.

Employees can exercise their rights by:

• Filing claims of workplace harassment or discrimination
• Requesting benefits, such as workers’ compensation
• Requesting other accommodations, such as medical leave or a religious accommodation.

Employers also are prohibited from retaliating against employees who object to the employer’s unlawful behavior. Employees may report their employer’s unlawful conduct without fear that their employers will retaliate against them.

Understand Your Workplace Rights

Sadly, employers punish employees because they think that the employee is being disloyal, rather than just exercising her right under the law. Employers also punish employees because they want to discourage other employees from engaging in similar behavior.

To stop such behavior, the law protects against a broad range of retaliatory acts which includes protections against:

• Termination
• Demotion
• A decrease in an employee’s pay

This law also prohibits employers from providing undesirable job assignments, unjustified negative evaluations, or increasing surveillance.

Common Retaliatory Acts

Evidence of retaliation is often subtle because employers know it is unlawful. Some situations that might provide evidence of retaliation include:

• Your employer treats you less favorably than an employee who did not engage in protected conduct.
• Your employer treats you less favorably after you engaged in the protected conduct, compared to how it treated you before.
• Your employer makes threats or comments of disapproval regarding your protected conduct.
• Your employer takes punitive actions against you soon after you engaged in the protected conduct.
• The basis of your employer’s decision involving you (e.g., hiring, promoting, disciplining, firing, paying) is not supported by the actual facts or evidence.

Did Your Employer Penalize You For Asserting Your Rights? Talk To Us.

If you have experienced retaliation in the workplace, contact Gibson Law, LLC, today. You can reach us at 513-834-8254 or via our online contact form. Arrange your free consultation with a skilled employment attorney today.