Retaliation by an employer may happen suddenly and it is easy to want justice for it as fast. But the process of proving and receiving compensation for employer retaliation takes time. The less time you spend getting the right paperwork and information to local and federal investigators, the better.
In Texas, there is a specific set of requirements to look out for when filing a complaint and appealing for an investigation.
Discrimination and retaliation complaints
The Texas Worforce Commission’s Civil Rights Division details the process and timeline of filing a complaint against an employer. In it, you need your full name and information along with the name of your company with their address.
The division requires you to state how your employer treated you, the description of employment harm and why they treated you that way. This includes retaliation for participating in or filing a discrimination complaint.
Once the office receives the complaint and processes it, mediation is the next step. If either party declines mediation, that is when the Civil Rights Division steps in to investigate.
A crucial detail is the window of time. You have 180 days from the date of retaliation to file the complaint. Any hiccups in filing may prolong the process.
Signs of retaliation
All of this happens after the most important step: knowing your employer retaliated against you. This may be harder to spot than you think, but a lot of actions your employer takes may constitute retaliation.
As a worker, you have rights and there are methods of protecting you from wrongful action. There are other tools to take for compensation when employers disregard those protections. Identifying the signs and providing a clear, organized complaint may be the first steps to justice.
