When employees assert their rights under federal or state law by complaining within the company, reporting regulatory violations or contacting outside agencies, they should be protected. Federal and state laws do protect these employees in many cases. Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana also have “whistleblower” laws that, in some circumstances, prevent employers from penalizing employees who report certain unlawful conduct. Too often, however, employers are unaware of or ignore these protections. Some employers go to great lengths to cover their tracks and retaliate against employees who complain or report them. They wrongly believe that this is the best way to hide their conduct, punish disloyalty and discourage others from complaining. Retaliation can take many forms, including:
- unjustified discipline;
- unfair performance evaluation;
- being removed from certain projects or assignments;
- assignment to less favorable projects;
- reduction in work hours;
- unfavorable scheduling;
- being excluded from committees, meetings or other work-related groups; or even termination of employment.
If you have experienced one or more of the above forms of retaliation after complaining or voicing opposition to a practice or policy, or reporting to an outside agency, please call us. You have done the right thing by complaining, and your employer should not be permitted to punish you for it. We have experience successfully litigating retaliation claims on behalf of our clients. Ted Copetas or Dave Eberly will listen to your problems in a free initial consultation to see how we might be able to help vindicate your rights. Call Dave Eberly (513-533-1151) or Ted Copetas (513-533-1103).