Founded in 2009, The Noble Law provides consultations and legal advice to clients in South Carolina and across North Carolina on a variety of employment law issues, including workplace retaliation and whistleblower law. When you choose to partner with us, we will treat you as part of the team and provide you with top-notch, compassionate service. Open communication is key, and our employment law attorneys will support you every step of the way.
When it comes to workplace retaliation, whistleblower protection, or other issues regarding employment law, it can be hard to reach out to an employment attorney. Here at The Noble Law, we will work hard to understand your situation and help you identify your legal options, whether you choose to move forward with our firm or not. Schedule a consultation with a whistleblower lawyer in South Carolina or North Carolina today.
Many people are reluctant to report sexual harassment, discrimination, and other workplace violations for fear of retaliation by their employer. The good news for employees in this tough situation is that retaliation is also illegal. Employers are prohibited from firing, demoting, and taking other adverse actions against employees who report certain unlawful activities and events.
If you have reported a violation at your workplace and fear retaliation, or if you believe your employer is currently retaliating against you, you have strong legal rights and The Noble Law is here to protect them.
At our law firm, an experienced Charlotte workplace retaliation attorney is here to listen to your story, help you understand your options, and provide you with the strong advocacy you need to prevail.
When Is It Retaliation?
Negative outcomes happen at work all the time—unfavorable performance reviews, unwanted job assignments, demotions…even termination. These adverse events do not, on their own, constitute employment law violations. When does a bad outcome rise to the level of retaliation?
Retaliation occurs when an employer’s adverse treatment toward you is designed to punish you for engaging in legally protected activities such as reporting fraud and misconduct.
If you have recently reported such activities and now feel like you have a target on your back, it may not be a coincidence. It may be a case of workplace retaliation.
What Employee Actions Are Protected?
Generally, employers are free to fire, demote, or otherwise take adverse actions against their employees at will. Under North Carolina and federal employment law statutes, however, they may not take such actions in response to their employees:
- Reporting sexual harassment
- Requesting a reasonable accommodation for a disability or a pregnancy-related condition
- Reporting discrimination based on age, race, sex, disability, pregnancy, national origin, or other protected characteristic
- Raising concerns about failure to pay earned wages
- Collaborating with coworkers to come up with ways to improve your working conditions, then presenting those to management
- Reporting or refusing to engage in fraud, misappropriation, and other illegal activity
- Requesting or taking FMLA leave to which they are entitled
- Collecting workers’ compensation benefits
- Reporting OSHA violations
- Cooperating with an investigation by a government agency
If you took such an action and have received adverse treatment at work, it may be a case of retaliation. So long as you raised a genuine concern, your claim is not defeated simply because there turned out not to be a violation of law. As long as you made the claim in good faith and based on a reasonable belief, your employer is not allowed to retaliate against you.
Retaliation: Warning Signs
Workplace retaliation takes many forms, ranging from the subtle to the overt. Signs that your employer may be retaliating against you include:
- Your performance reviews have gone from positive to negative for no legitimate reason
- Your pay has been cut
- You’ve been demoted
- You were passed over for a promotion and a less qualified person got the role
- You are suddenly being excluded from workplace meetings
- You have been relocated to a branch against your wishes
- You have been given new, unwanted responsibilities
- Your employer finds other ways to make your work life miserable and try to entice you to quit
Whether you filed your complaint recently or in the past, such actions may constitute unlawful conduct on the part of the company you work for. An experienced Charlotte workplace retaliation attorney can review the circumstances of your case to help you understand the strength of a potential retaliation claim.
What Should I Do if I Am Retaliated Against?
If you suspect your employer may be retaliating against you, you do not have to accept the situation. You can take action against the adverse treatment.
You may start by talking to your manager or HR department and asking them for an explanation for any punitive or adverse actions taken against you. The explanation may make sense and raise your awareness of a blind spot in your work performance, or it may only reinforce your suspicions that something else is going on. If your concerns of retaliation are reinforced, it’s time to call an attorney to determine your options.
Whatever the nature of the retaliation, it is important to document the treatment you have received. Save emails, notices of work assignments, and other information that could prove useful in a potential lawsuit. Document the dates, times, and locations of incidents and comments that illustrate the hostile treatment you have been receiving.
You have every right to report the retaliation to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), or other government body. This is not an action you have to take on your own. An experienced employment law attorney can handle all aspects of your legal claim, helping you understand your rights and options, and charting the best possible course toward a positive legal outcome.
How a Lawyer Can Help
With a skilled Charlotte workplace retaliation lawyer on your side, you can take control of this situation and work toward a better tomorrow.
An experienced lawyer can conduct a thorough investigation of your situation that may uncover facts and circumstances that prove pivotal in a potential retaliation lawsuit.
A successful retaliation claim could result in a monetary award, reinstatement in a position you lost, or other favorable outcome, depending on the nature of your situation and the goals you have moving forward.
A successful claim also holds your employer, manager, or other party responsible for the actions they have taken against you.
Get Started on Building a Better Tomorrow
Workplace retaliation can make your life miserable, but you don’t have to suffer in silence. Our lawyers are here to listen, understand, and help. Contact The Noble Law today to learn how an experienced Charlotte workplace retaliation attorney can help you.
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You deserve a safe, ethical, and legal workplace, and our employment law firm is here to help you protect your rights. If you have questions about whistleblower protections available to you in North Carolina or South Carolina, contact The Noble Law.
Here at The Noble Law, we listen. We hear you. We understand. Call today to discuss your rights and duties as a workplace whistleblower.
Along with representing clients with claims in the area of workplace retaliation and whistleblower protections, we also represent employees in a variety of other areas of employment law. These include Executive compensation disputes, Workplace discrimination, Pay, overtime, and leave, Workplace harassment, sexual harassment, and workplace assault, and Workplace investigations.
Learn more about our employment law firm’s Practice Areas and check out our About Page. When you choose to work with The Noble Law, you will gain a clear understanding of your legal options, whether you choose to move forward with our employment law firm or not. Our employment lawyers advise and represent clients in North Carolina and South Carolina, with offices in Charlotte, Chapel Hill, and Mt. Pleasant. If you’re interested in speaking with one of our employment attorneys, contact us today.