Alabama Retaliation And Whistleblower Attorney
Birmingham Civil Rights Retaliation Lawyer
Federal and Alabama law protects employees who stand up for their rights by reporting certain unlawful conduct to their employer. Employees are free to engage in what the law calls “protected activity” without punishment by the employer.
Unlawful retaliation is one of the most common violations by employers, and perhaps the most common lawsuit filed by employees. Federal law forbids employers from retaliating against employees who complain about unlawful activity in the workplace. For example, an employee who complains about race discrimination or sexual harassment is free to do so without losing his or her job.
In many situations, an employee is free to contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, contact the Department of Labor, make a claim for workers’ compensation, and even file a lawsuit without penalty. Although not exhaustive, the following is a list of areas protected by retaliation laws:
- Reporting discrimination related to the terms and conditions of employment based on someone’s race, disability, age, gender, nationality and religion
- Complaining about sexual harassment in the workplace
- Requesting and/or taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act
- Reporting wage and hour violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act
- Exercising your rights under Alabama’s workers’ compensation statute
Retaliation Comes In Many Forms
The conduct that constitutes unlawful “retaliation” varies. Typically, a supervisor may retaliate against the employee for his or her actions by firing, demoting, lowering the pay or re-assigning the employee to a different job. But employers are creative and sometimes think of other ways to retaliate against an employee.
Representing Employees In Retaliation Lawsuits
An employee who is the victim of unlawful retaliation has a limited amount of time to take action. Contact Brian O. Noble at Capstone Law, LLC, if you believe you are the victim of unlawful retaliation, or if you want to ensure you follow the correct process to preserve your rights prior to reporting unlawful conduct.