Knowing an employer has acted wrongfully against you and proving that the employer is legally in the wrong are two very different things. The process of filing a claim of wrongful termination based on retaliation can be more complicated than it seems. Anyone in Colorado who feels that he or she has been the victim of workplace retaliation should understand the steps to take and also what exactly counts as retaliation.
First of all, for a retaliation claim to even be considered, you must show the case involves more than poor treatment. You must show that you were acting within a protected activity when retaliation was taken against you. This may include if you filed a complaint of discrimination through the proper channels or if you stood up and refused to take part in an act or behavior that you thought was discriminatory.
Also, in order to pursue a claim of retaliation, there must be work-related adverse action taken against you. This can include changing your status at work or demoting you. Another adverse action may be getting a negative review that is unwarranted or being transferred. The most adverse action may entail being fired as a means of retaliation for fighting against or resisting discrimination.
Retaliation claims can be tricky for employees to understand and navigate. The relationship between an employee and employer in Colorado can be one that is contentious under certain circumstances. However, if that line of contention reaches what you believe is retaliation in the workplace, you have rights and can review our website to understand more about those rights, along with a more in-depth explanation of retaliation in general.