Facing difficulties in the workplace can sometimes be hard to handle. In some instances, employees could face retaliation from their employers for certain legal actions, and those retaliatory actions could even go so far as to result in the termination of workers. In many cases, workers who believe that they were treated illegally in the workplace have options for addressing the matter.
Workers' comp retaliation can hurt your future
Getting hurt on the job can seriously alter the course of your future in more ways than one. While you are focusing on your physical recovery and trying to cover medical bills without a paycheck, your employer could be actively sabotaging your future. Unfortunately, it is not unheard of for Florida employers to retaliate against workers who file for workers' compensation benefits. Victims of workers' comp retaliation may face additional hurdles during recovery, including financial and emotional burdens.
Retaliation over a workers' compensation claim is unacceptable
When a Florida employee suffers injuries in an accident in the workplace, he or she has the right to seek benefits and support through a claim filed with the employer's comp insurance. The intent of workers' compensation insurance is to provide a way for injured employees to secure support to cover medical bills and a portion of their lost wages. For many reasons, some employers may take action against employees who file a claim, even if they had the need and valid grounds to do so. Retaliation for a claim is unacceptable.
Retaliation after filing for workers' compensation benefits
When a Florida employee experiences an injury on the job, he or she has the right to purse benefits through a workers' compensation claim. Most employers are required to carry this type of insurance, and injured or sick workers can seek coverage of lost wages, medical bills and other needs in the event of a workplace accident. Unfortunately, some employers do not want workers to file a claim unless the injury is severe or disabling, and injured employees may experience retaliation.
Workplace retaliation claims are increasing
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.
Injured workers can pursue compensation without penalty
Workers in Florida who are penalized for engaging in a protected activity could be victims of employer retaliation. Retaliation can happen after an individual files a workers' compensation claim, and there are many different forms of retaliation. For example, a person could be fired or demoted for filing a workers' compensation claim or asking about filing a claim. Other forms of retaliation include a pay cut or negative information added to an employee file.
Dealing with retaliation on the job
Employers in Florida and throughout the country are generally not allowed to retaliate against workers who assert their legal rights in the workplace. However, it is still possible for a worker to be terminated, demoted or otherwise treated differently after engaging in a protected act. There are several different steps that workers can take if they believe that they have been treated in an unfair manner. The first step is to speak directly with the party acting in a potentially retaliatory manner.
What to know about workplace retaliation
Employees in Florida are allowed to make complaints about harassment in the workplace. In response, employers are not allowed to retaliate or take any steps that could be seen as retaliation. For example, if a manager moves an employee to a different office after making a complaint, that could be seen as retaliation. This is true because the person reporting the transgression was negatively impacted as opposed to the alleged perpetrator.
OCS improves response to federal workers' retaliation complaints
In the past, federal employees in Florida could expect the Office of Special Counsel to side with federal agency supervisors when workers filed complaints about mistreatment or blew the whistle about misconduct. Starting in 2017, however, the agency reformed its attitude toward employee complaints. It issued a record-setting 323 rulings in favor of employees. This represented a 16 percent increase in employees winning cases over the previous year.
Man claims Tesla fired him for reporting auto parts theft
Florida residents may be interested to learn that a former employee for Tesla recently filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the automaker. The former employee reportedly worked at the company as the Operations Associate Manager until he was terminated in October 2017.
