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Woman claims wrongful termination after complaining about abuse

| Oct 19, 2018 | Employment Law for Employees |

Even in the current atmosphere with workers asserting their rights to be free of mistreatment and abuse on the job on New York and across the country, there are still daily reminders that people can face a variety of problems at work. In many cases, it will result in being sanctioned, denied promotions, wrongfully terminated and more. Employees should bear in mind that they have rights and when there was illegal behavior perpetrated against them, the law provides protection for retaliation and allows them to move forward with employment claims to be compensated.

A woman who was employed by WeWork alleges that she was the victim of sexual assault at two work events and was dismissed as retaliation after complaining. As a result, she has filed a lawsuit. According to her, she was the director of culture and a product manager at WeWork for almost four years. In the first incident, a male employee who was accused said he was too intoxicated to know what happened. In the second, a man grabbed her, pulled her toward him and attempted to kiss her. After complaining and it being addressed with multiple people higher up on the chain of command, nothing was done about the behavior.

She was dismissed in August in what she says was a retaliatory act. She asserts she never had any negative reviews of her work and was never said to perform poorly in her duties. The company says that there were issues with her performance and there is no merit to the legal filing. Her termination was said to be due to performance and nothing else. In another incident from the lawsuit, the woman says that a different employee tried to photograph her as she had a drink with another co-worker and show that she drank on the job while the workplace had a beer tap available to employees all day. The woman’s former boss says her attendance was spotty. She seeks compensation for being dismissed prior to stock vesting, among other complaints.

Being dismissed from a job is difficult enough, but when the employee believes it was due to retaliation on the part of the employer, it can leave them wondering what to do next. The financial, emotional and personal impact of mistreatment and wrongful termination can have long-lasting consequences. Fortunately, there are alternatives available to seek justice. A law firm that understands both perspectives in an employment setting can help with a legal filing. Calling a lawyer who specializes in employment law for employees is the first step toward filing a case.