Federal and state governments have enacted laws and statutes to protect employees. However, what the majority of employees fail to realize is that there are also laws that protect them from retaliation. In other words, it is illegal for an employer to punish and employee for filing legal complaints or participating in workplace investigations. If your employer retaliated against you for taking certain legal actions that you were entitled to, you should contact business lawyers in Irvine to protect your legal rights.

What Is Retaliation?

As your business attorneys in Irvine can tell you, retaliation occurs when an employer punishes an employee for engaging in a legally protected activity. Retaliation can include not only negative job action such as a demotion or firing, but also more subtle actions such as being denied a raise.

California is no exception in forbidding retaliation of employers against their employees who oppose unlawful employment practice or who engage in any governmental investigations or proceedings.

Adverse Employment Action

If you suspect that your employer has retaliated against you, you and your business attorneys in Irvine will need to show a link between your complaint (or whatever behavior or action that triggered the retaliation) and your employer’s retaliatory behavior.

One common issue that your business lawyers in Irvine will look for in proving this link is to see if you suffered an adverse employment action. California courts have defined “adverse employment action” as any materially significant disadvantage with respect to the terms of the plaintiff’s employment. Examples include firing, failing to promote, reassignment with significantly different responsibilities, or a decision causing a significant change in benefits.

Contact Us

To learn more about retaliation and what you can do to protect your legal rights, call business lawyers in Irvine by calling the Legal Advocate Group, P.A. at (813) 304-8447.