Federal labor laws prohibit retaliation or wrongful termination after reporting misconduct. As noted by Whistleblowers.gov, some individuals may not recognize that their employer has engaged in retaliation. An employer’s unlawful actions may appear too subtle to notice at first. They may also take the much more obvious form of retaliatory firings.
A hostile workplace may develop after officials become aware of unlawful activities. Illegal retaliation may include harming employees who reported incidents of wrongdoing. They may find themselves terminated or experience a reduction in pay or responsibilities.
Employees may report misconduct without fear of retaliation
Federal law protects employees who report wrongdoing. When companies engage in certain types of misconduct, employees who submitted an official report may file a lawsuit if a wrongful termination follows.
Individuals may, for example, freely report employers’ illicit actions such as health and safety violations or environmental contamination. Reporting an employer’s failure to suppress a toxic spill may help protect an entire community.
Wrongful termination may follow a range of circumstances
A range of actions leading to termination may reflect an illegal firing. As reported by Business.com, employees may file a lawsuit if they believe their termination was the result of refusing to violate law as instructed by their employer.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission notes that federal labor laws forbid discrimination. Employers may not hire, fire or demote workers based on their race, gender, age or religion. If a firing occurred based on any of these characteristics, an employer may face a wrongful termination lawsuit.
An individual may file an official report if his or her employer fosters illicit actions. If an employee then experiences an illegal firing, he or she may file a lawsuit against the employer. Damages may include compensation for back pay and include a fired worker’s related pain and suffering.
