People who feel they’ve been wronged often have a natural inclination to retaliate. This is just human nature. In the workplace, though, retaliation firings are often illegal, especially when the employee in question was just following the laws and regulations in a way that the company was not.
This often comes into play, for example, in workplace safety situations. A worker may be asked to do something that puts him or her at serious risk, such as working on a construction site in New Jersey without a hardhat and proper safety equipment. If the employee then reports this breach of safety regulations or refuses to do the job — or both — the company may terminate that employee’s contract.
This also comes up when employees know that laws are being broken in the name of production and income. Some companies do not dispose of their waste products properly, breaking environmental laws. Other companies will commit tax fraud or report earnings incorrectly to shareholders. Employees may find out about these things and report them, turning those employees into whistleblowers, and according to employment law, they should be able to do this without fear of losing their jobs.
So, what can be done if you are fired in retaliation for something like this? You may be able to start a lawsuit that asks for your job back, for lost wages and for other types of compensation. Even if you have no desire to get your position back — perhaps fearing a hostile workplace — there are still ways to get financial compensation and to hold the company accountable.
To find out more about how to do this, please visit our webpage on wrongful termination now.
