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In the context of an employment discrimination lawsuit, when I think about a demotion, I’m also thinking of retaliation. Continue reading
Image by Christos Giakkas from Pixabay
You have an underperforming supervisor in your workplace. Several employees have complained about her work performance and leadership. So, the plan is to fire her. Except, three weeks before you terminate this supervisor’s employment, she complains about discrimination.
Can you go through with the termination? Or is the timing so suggestive of retaliation that you’re practically guaranteeing a jury trial on that issue?
Let’s find out…
Image Credit: Photofunia.com (https://photofunia.com/results/5d9aa283089f7ad4978b458c)
Earlier this week, I detailed several feeble retaliation claims that a federal court easily brushed aside.
Today, I’ll talk about another retaliation claim that almost suffered a similar fate until one of the most conservative federal appellate courts in the country breathed new life into it. Continue reading
Image Credit: Photofunia.com (https://photofunia.com/results/5d9aa283089f7ad4978b458c)
Retaliation is one of the most common employment claims pursued in court. Indeed, it’s the #1 claim individuals make at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Image by DigitalShards from Pixabay
I’ve talked a fair amount recently about retaliation claims (here and here), mostly focusing on timing as the possible link between a protected activity (such as a complaint of discrimination) and an adverse employment action (like a firing).
The plaintiffs in those cases were unsuccessful in proving retaliation. And, in the case about which I’m blogging today, the employer almost prevailed on summary judgment too.
Almost. Continue reading
Image Credit: Photofunia.com (https://photofunia.com/results/5d750cee089f7a9b358b4594)
Last week, I blogged about a situation in which two employees alleged that their former employer retaliated against them for participating in a workplace investigation. Each claimed that the close timing between the investigation and their subsequent firing confirmed that there must have been some retaliatory animus.
They were wrong.
What I have for you today is another similar situation. This time, we have an employee who complained about a supervisor’s sexual harassment. The company investigated. Then, it fired the supervisor and promoted the victim to supervisor. And then promoted her again. But, later, the company fired the victim. Continue reading
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
You’ve been here before.
One of your employees just complained about discrimination in the workplace. Or maybe s/he just participated in an HR investigation. A few days or weeks later, s/he violates your work rules and you have clear grounds to fire the employee.
Now you have a conundrum. Do you fire the employee and risk the retaliation claim? Or do you give the employee a pass?
Continue reading
Image Credit: Carly Meyer
Hold on a sec. Let me finish gnawing on that T-Bone from last Wednesday’s dinner at STK in Disney Springs.
Ok, done. Vacation over. Time to start blogging again. Continue reading
Remember those “what’s wrong with this picture” games that we played as children? Something like this.
Last night, I found the employment law equivalent from this recent Sixth Circuit opinion. Continue reading
By Jfacew at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Let’s say that you learn that one of your employees is testifying as a witness in a discrimination case against another company in your industry. That doesn’t sit right with you. So, you tell this employee that you’ll fire him if he testifies.
Is that legal? Or is that, perhaps, retaliation? Continue reading
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