I get a lot of calls from people who feel their boss is out to get them. It’s important to know that not all kinds of retaliation are against the law. In California, the law only stops employers from punishing you if you were doing something that’s protected by law.
Protected activities include:
- Complaining about not getting paid what you’re owed.
- Speaking up about safety issues at work.
- Reporting discrimination or harassment.
- Saying no to doing something illegal.
For example, if your boss treats you badly because you reported them for being lazy or micromanaging your work, that’s not against the law. But if they punish you for asking to be paid for overtime, that is illegal. The key difference is that the law protects you when you talk about issues like unpaid wages, but not for complaining about things like laziness and micromanagement.
