What is “retaliation” and can I sue for losses I suffer as a result?
In Ohio and under federal law, retaliation can serve as the basis for a claim against an employer that is just as worthy of redress as the discriminatory or unlawful act that preceded it. “Retaliation” goes well beyond a former employer giving bad references. No employer may take any adverse job action against you, fire you, demote you, refuse to promote you, reassign you, modify your terms of employment, or take any steps not otherwise justified by law if such conduct was related in any way to your having filed a charge of discrimination, a complaint for violation of occupational health or safety laws, a report with authorities with evidence of your employer’s having committed a felony or having engaged in conduct that would tend to compromise public health or safety, or a claim for benefits under an employer-sponsored group benefit plan or for worker’s compensation. Likewise, no employer may retaliate against you for helping anyone else to file a discrimination action, act as a “whis
