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Employer Retaliation Is Against The Law

No matter where you work, there is a power imbalance between employees and managers that can make it difficult for you to speak up when your employer violates your legal rights or the rights of a colleague. If you bring up an act of discrimination, sexual harassment or any other violation of your rights as a worker, it may seem like your employer can simply punish you however they like – by assigning you unpleasant or unimportant work, blocking a promotion or even firing you.

Fortunately for American workers, that kind of retaliation is against the law. It is never legal for your employer to retaliate against you simply for raising the issue of a potential legal violation. Sadly, this legal protection does not always stop employers from retaliating against their employees anyway. When that happens, it’s time to speak with a lawyer. I am here for you at the Law Offices of David S. Secrest

As an aggressive employment law litigator with more than 20 years of experience, I will help you understand your rights and make a plan to assert them in court. I will work closely with you to craft a legal strategy that reflects your needs and priorities, while protecting your ability to make a living and holding your employer accountable.

What Counts As Retaliation?

In order for an employer’s actions to legally qualify as “retaliation,” the employee must have suffered a tangible punishment. The most extreme form of punishment would be the termination of your position – getting fired – but it can also take other forms. Your employer might block you from a deserved promotion or raise, demote you or reassign you to projects that make it harder to advance.

Retaliation can be difficult to prove, because employers typically claim that the employee they have fired, demoted or otherwise punished received that consequence for a legally valid reason such as poor performance at work. And since employers also get to decide which metrics are used to evaluate employee performance, they are in a position to misrepresent or selectively interpret their records to build their case.

This is precisely why it’s important to work with an experienced attorney. I will help you evaluate the strength of your case and conduct thorough research to uncover relevant facts to bolster your case.

Learn More About Your Rights At A Free Initial Consultation

If you have suffered any form of employer retaliation, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. To learn more about your legal options, call 805-308-7470 or contact me online. I represent clients in Santa Barbara and throughout the surrounding region, and I have focused on employment litigation for more than 20 years.