Employees tend to know the basics when it comes to their rights in the workplace. Discrimination and harassment tend to be highlighted situations, where employees have the right to take a stance and protect his or her rights. However, some employees may not fully understand that their rights extend beyond just speaking out about their mistreatment. When employees observe unlawful activity by an employer, he or she has the right to blow the whistle on their employee.
While this might be the appropriate step for employees in New York and elsewhere to take, it is not always an easy one to take. There is often the fear that an employer will retaliate and even fire an employee for taking such actions. However, employees have the right to blow a whistle on an employer for breaking the law, and whistler blower rights protect an employee when doing so.
Although whistle blower rights exist, this does not always protect an employee from experiencing hardships in this matter. An employer might retaliate in a wide variety of situation. It could stem from an employee filing a complaint for employment discrimination, harassment or reporting illegal activity. Retaliation can take many forms, are at Mitchell Pollack & Associates, PLLC, our attorneys know what to look for when proving that prohibited retaliatory actions have taken place. This can look like harassment, creating a hostile work environment, reduction of hours, reassignment, demotion, refusal to promote or unfounded negative performance reviews.
Such actions can make for a challenging time for an employee, even pushing them to quit their job. Whether an employee is a whistleblower or took steps to protect their rights as an employee, it is important to understand that they have rights and the ability to file a civil action. To learn more, check out our law firm’s employment law for employees website. The damages and losses suffered because of mistreatment in the workplace can be extensive. It is important to take action against an employer that has not upheld one’s rights as an employee.