Even with the strictest compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and best workplace safety practices, on-the-job injuries from time to time are inevitable in the construction industry. Many states have enacted powerful protections for workers filing worker’s compensation claims, or exercising related rights, to guard against retaliation by employers. These anti-retaliation protections may include both civil and criminal liabilities and strong remedial schemes.
Texas, for example, makes it unlawful for employers to discharge or in any other manner discriminate against an employee because the employee has:
Texas Labor Code § 451.001.
A worker whose rights have been violated can file a civil lawsuit for reinstatement, lost wages and benefits, mental anguish, and even punitive damages. The worker also has the right to a jury trial. Other states, such as Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey, similarly permit a claimant to file a lawsuit for retaliation.
Certain states, instead, allow claims to be made to their administrative agencies. California Labor Code Section 132a provides that an employee subjected to worker’s compensation retaliation is entitled to have their...
South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States, Roelf Meyer, has rejected claims of a so-called “white genocide”, describing the narrative as false and driven by a small group seeking to influence...