Important Things to Report to Your Supervisor

By Thomas Ricotta on September 23rd, 2016 in In The News

Many employees in New York City fail to report important information to their supervisor or another regulatory agency because they are fearful of termination or other repercussions. However, there are laws in place to protect you from this, and if you are retaliated against, our wrongful termination attorney in NYC will advocate for you.

If you’re hesitant about reporting, remember that the law is on your side. Here is a list of some things in the workplace that are definitely worth reporting:

Safety Hazards

If you notice any safety hazards or violations in the workplace, you should report them immediately. A safety hazard could be putting your health – or even your life – or the well-being of others at risk. Further, don’t stop at just reporting the safety hazard to your employer or supervisor; if nothing is done to correct the safety hazard, take steps to report it to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Misclassification of Employees

One way that employers will try to get away with not paying their employees certain benefits, like workers’ compensation insurance, overtime, or health insurance, is by misclassifying their employees as independent contractors. While you – or others with whom you work – may very well be independent contractors, if you are an employee, you should be classified as such. If you have questions, talk to your supervisor – if that doesn’t resolve anything, consider contacting an attorney or reporting the misclassification to the New York State Department of Labor.

Harassment

Workplace harassment is a broad category that includes any type of belittling or threatening behavior, particularly when it occurs because of a person’s affiliation with a particular group, background, race, gender, age, or religion. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, harassment becomes illegal when:

• Employment is conditional on enduring the harassment; or
• The harassment is severe enough to create a hostile work environment, or is considered by a reasonable person to be abusive or intimidating.

You should always report harassment to your supervisor, and contact a higher authority if the problem is not resolved.

Will I Be Fired for Reporting to My Supervisor?

It is against the law for your employer to retaliate against you for reporting a labor or safety violation. Retaliation includes demoting, firing, harassing, refusing to promote, unjustified negative evaluations, and more. If your employer takes any retaliatory steps against you after you report something, they are in violation of the law and can be penalized as such.

Contact Our Wrongful Termination Attorney, NYC, Today

If you believe that you have been wrongfully terminated, you should report the violation to the appropriate body (New York State Department of Labor) and contact an experienced wrongful termination attorney. NYC wrongful termination is a violation of the law, and our lawyers at the law offices of Ricotta & Marks, P.C. will advocate for your rights. Contact us today and call (347)-464-8694 for a free case consultation to learn more.