If you’ve been injured at work, your first concern should be focused on healing and getting better, not worrying about how you’re going to pay for your bills or even if you’ll have a job when you wake up in the morning.  Unfortunately, however, sometimes unethical employers try to sabotage their employees by engaging in highly illegal punitive measures for their illness or injury.  Called “employer retaliation,” the state of Ohio strongly prohibits your employer from engaging in any of the following actions against you after your injury or illness:

• Termination of your job
• Demotion or refusal of promotion
• Cut in work hours or pay
• Reassignment
• Bullying, threats, or intimidation
• Blacklisting
• Bad performance reviews
• Refusing overtime

Employer retaliation can be subtle and hard to pick up on, which is why it’s important to have me as your lawyer if you’ve been injured or sickened and filed a workers’ comp claim.  I can quickly identify any and all forms of retaliation and help you seek maximum restitution for this repugnant behavior from your boss.

If you suspect that your employer has retaliated against you for your workers’ comp claim, make sure you keep documentation of all of the following:

• Your injury report and your claim
• All evidence of reduction in hours, demotion, or termination
• All emails and notes from your boss, including both before and after your claim
• All documentation of performance reviews, both before and after your claim

It’s extremely critical to get all documentation of medical treatment immediately after your injury and before filing your claim with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) because it becomes significantly more difficult to get your benefits if your employer retaliates against you by terminating you first.  The BWC may suspect that you’re filing out of revenge instead of legitimate need, which can unfairly impair your ability to get your benefits.

Keeping clear notes on all of these behaviors can certainly help your case, but the absolute very first thing you should do after your injury or illness is call me at 1 (877) 614-9524 for a FREE initial consultation.  With over forty years of experience and knowledge about labor law and employees’ rights while serving the greater Columbus, Ohio area, I will represent you as an ally and an advocate in court to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.  If you’ve been hurt at work and you suspect that your boss is acting unethically and illegally, give me a call today – and I’ll Make Them Pay!®