In the article “Did You Fire for Cause or Out of Retaliation?” that ran in Workfest by Zenefits on May 16, KCNF attorney Katherine Krems spoke with Valerie Bolden-Barrett on the legal mess a small business can create for itself if it fires or disciplines an employee in retaliation rather than for cause.
“A retaliatory employment action occurs when an adverse personnel action (demotion, termination, failure to promote, harassment or intimidation, discipline, denial of leave, refusal to grant an accommodation, etc.) affects the terms and conditions of employment and would deter a reasonable employee from engaging in protected conduct,” said Katherine.
She adds, “All too often, employers think that they can silence employees who speak out” about the workplace “because they assume the employee will not know about their legal protections or not act to assert their rights under the law.” Those employers don’t understand that retaliation is easier to prove than, for example, discrimination.
In the article, Katherine advises that an experienced employment attorney can help employees stand up to workplace misconduct without fearing reprisal.
To read the full article, click here.