When an employee witnesses wrongdoing in the workplace, he or she may wonder whether speaking up is the right step. Some individuals may not think twice about pointing out unfair treatment, but others may worry about the impacts it could have on their jobs. Unfortunately, some workers could become the victims of retaliation if they do choose to stand up for themselves or others.
New York residents may be interested in an out-of-state woman’s case in which she faced unfair treatment after sticking up for a co-worker. Reports stated that the woman is Haitian American and worked as a nurse in a hospital. During her time there, she felt the need to stand up for another Haitian-American nurse who was verbally abused by a doctor. It was unclear what exact actions the woman took to defend the other worker.
After the incident, the woman claims that she was retaliated against and had to face investigations for allegedly not attending to patients properly. The woman had worked for the hospital for 15 years, and due to the mistreatment she began to face, she resigned from her position. Later, she filed a lawsuit for retaliation and discrimination against the hospital, and the jury in the case ruled in her favor in regard to the retaliation claims, awarding her $28 million.
Retaliation against employees who point out wrongful or law-breaking behavior violates employment law. If New York workers have had to deal with similar circumstances in which they defended another worker or pointed out other wrongdoing and then faced unfair treatment themselves, they may have reason to file legal claims. Having experienced attorneys assess their cases could help interested individuals determine their best options.
