When a Florida employee experiences unfair treatment in the workplace or witnesses some kind of illegal activity, the employee has the right to speak out about it. However, it can be intimidating to do these things, and the employee may experience workplace retaliation as a result. This can happen in cases involving whistleblowing, reporting dangerous workplace conditions or even filing a worker’s compensation claim.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that there has been a significant increase in whistleblower claims in the last few years. OSHA handles claims involving health and safety concerns in the workplace, but the organization also handles whistleblower claims pertaining to tax law violations, consumer products, food, maritime safety laws and more. Over 60% of the claims handled by OSHA involve workers reporting their employers for unsafe work conditions and other similar issues.
Retaliation from an employer can take many forms. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a direct termination, but it can also happen when a deserving employee is passed over for a promotion, excluded from training or harassed. At this time, OSHA has more whistleblower claims than the organization can effectively investigate. This means some cases may not get proper attention.
Workplace retaliation in any form and for any reason is unacceptable. An employee in Florida who has experienced this type of treatment has the right to seek legal counsel regarding the most appropriate way forward. It may be within the victim’s right to seek compensation for damages and financial losses by filing a civil claim against the employer.
