Mississippi Workplace Retaliation Lawyer
Retaliation is prohibited by numerous federal laws. The most common claims for retaliation involve complaints of discrimination based on race, sex, age, disability, etc. Retaliation claims are also the most easy to understand by juries. Everyone understands that when a supervisor discovers that one of their subordinate employees has complained to management or human resources that they are a racist that the supervisor is going to be upset.
How Can I Get Protected?
To have protection from retaliation you have to have engaged in a protected activity under the relevant federal law. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 there are two way you can engage in protected activity. There is participation and opposition. Participation traditionally involves participating in an activity under Title VII. The most common way employees engage in such participation is filing a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"). Other times it may be giving testimony in an investigation by the EEOC. Of the two ways the opposition clause is the most frequent way employees engage in protected activity. This may involve internal complaints of discrimination with your employer, public opposition to discrimination or providing a statement to an employer during an internal investigation of discrimination.
An employer may not retaliate against an employee who brings a claim of discrimination or who helps other employees bring discrimination claims. Unlawful workplace retaliation may involve:
- Unwarranted reprimands
- Denial of promotion
- Termination
- Threatening messages to the employee and others
- Unjustified negative performance evaluations
- Unjustified negative references
- Assault
- Other actions intended to stop employees from exercising their rights
If you are a victim of workplace retaliation, the experienced employee rights attorneys at our law firm,Watson & Norris, PLLC, in Jackson, Mississippi, are ready to help you. Call us today at 601-968-0000, or fill out our online intake form. We represent clients throughout Mississippi.
Skilled • Professional • Compassionate
We fight for the rights and interests of our clients.
"Retaliation," according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "occurs when an employer, employment agency, or labor organization takes an adverse action against a covered individual because he or she engaged in a protective activity." The EEOC describes protected activities as:
- Complaining to anyone about alleged discrimination against oneself or others
- Threatening to file a discrimination charge
- Demonstrating in opposition to discrimination
- Refusing to obey an order reasonably believed to be discriminatory
- Filing a charge of employment discrimination
- Participating in an investigation of alleged discriminatory practices
- Testifying as a witness in an EEOC investigation or litigation
Workplace retaliation is anything but rare. Retaliation claims account for nearly 30 percent of all charges filed annually with the EEOC. In fiscal 2007, this amounted to nearly 27,000 claims of retaliation discrimination. Nevertheless, the victims of workplace retaliation often feel terribly alone and vulnerable due to their employers' actions. We understand. With 20 years of combined experience handling labor and employment law cases, our lawyers know the realities of workplace discrimination — and how to fight for the rights of its victims.
Tell Us about Your Situation
Recovery in an employer retaliation lawsuit may include back wages, reinstatement, future wages in lieu of reinstatement, compensatory and punitive damages up to $300,000.00, attorneys' fees and costs.