Millions of people are injured at work each year throughout the United States. Workplace injuries can range from relatively minor injuries to extremely serious and disabling conditions. To protect workers from the financial burden of workplace accidents and injuries, the state of Nevada requires most employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Such insurance is intended to provide benefits for injured employees to cover their medical expenses and lost wages due to their injuries.
Workers’ compensation is critical for many people to pay their bills and basic expenses while they recover from a job-related injury. Unfortunately, some employers are reluctant to pay out benefits, as it can raise their premiums and affect their bottom line. In some situations, an employer may intimidate workers into not making a claim or may retaliate against workers for filing a claim.
If your employer has retaliated against you for filing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits, you have legal rights that need to be protected. Please call today to discuss a possible case with the skilled lawyers at the Las Vegas office of HKM Employment Attorneys.
Recognizing Retaliation
There are many ways an employer can retaliate against an employee after they make a workers’ compensation claim. Some examples of retaliation include:
- Transfer to a position with less desirable duties;
- Changing or decreasing hours;
- Denying promotion or pay increases;
- Reduction of pay or demotion;
- Withholding pay;
- Placing the employee on probation or suspension;
- Otherwise disciplining them;
- Increasing supervision and decreasing freedom at work;
- Filing an unjustified poor evaluation or review;
- Harassing, threatening, or intimidating the employee;
- Wrongful termination.
The workers’ compensation system is in place to protect employees and no injured individual should fear retaliation for exercising their rights to workers’ compensation benefits. Retaliation can not only cause distress and emotional issues due to the conflict at work, but it can also cause serious financial losses due to demotions, pay reduction, suspension, reduced hours, or termination.
The law in Nevada recognizes that some employers may resent employees who file workers’ compensation claims and prohibits retaliation against such employees. Victims of retaliation have the right to seek compensation for the financial and emotional losses suffered due to the unlawful actions of their employer. These claims can be complicated, however, so it is always important to seek help from a law firm with specific experience handling this type of case.
Discuss Your Situation With Our Experienced Employment Attorneys in Las Vegas
If you are injured at work, you have the right to receive the full amount of workers’ compensation benefits you deserve without unjustified interference by your employer. Even if you receive benefits, you may still experience backlash at work in the form of unlawful retaliations. At the law office of HKM Employment Attorneys, we work to protect the rights of all employees – especially if you have suffered an on-the-job injury. We can help you hold your employer accountable for retaliation, so please contact us online or call today at 702-625-3893 for more information.
