According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, more than 50% of claims filed with the agency in 2018 were related to retaliation by employers. Generally speaking, employers in Florida and around the country are not allowed to retaliate against employees for taking part in a protected activity. For instance, an employee cannot be punished for making a sexual harassment or gender discrimination complaint against a company. In some cases, retaliation can occur even if a company didn’t engage in harassment or discrimination.
In one case, a part-owner of a company was taken to court by an employee who alleged that she was the victim of sexual harassment. After arriving late to work, her shifts were cut from five per week to one per week. This was done in spite of the fact that she had permission to be tardy. She was later terminated after making a sexual harassment complaint against the individual who also served as her manager.
The employee eventually won compensation from the company in the form of back pay and compensatory damages. She also won punitive damages from the company, which was also required to take steps to ensure that such conduct didn’t happen again in the future. As a general rule, companies are encouraged to take steps to prevent harassment before cases ever get to court.
Those who are experiencing trouble at work may want to retain South Florida sexual harassment legal assistance. Doing so may make it easier to file a complaint with the EEOC or pursue a lawsuit against the company. An attorney may assist a worker during informal negotiations that may allow a dispute to be settled without the need for a trial.
