You loved your job. Every day, you were there on time and prepared to work. You did your best to be a team player and to do what your employer asked.
You and your colleagues were eating lunch together, however, when one made a racist comment about a new employee. You were the one who spoke up and reported that action to your employer. You thought you were doing the right thing, but you were surprised when they told you to mind your own business. The other employee wasn’t even reprimanded.
That afternoon, you were called into your employer’s office. He said that he wasn’t sure that your attitude had a place in the office, so he was letting you go. He didn’t want to have conflicts “ruin the family-friendly atmosphere.”
If you’re discriminated or retaliated against for standing up against racism, sexism or other issues in the workplace, it is your right to fight back. It’s stressful to lose your job, but you can develop a plan to move forward. For example, you can organize your thoughts and write down everything that happened. You can reach out to the human resources department, if there is one, or contact your attorney to start putting together a case.
In the meantime, you can file for unemployment benefits as well, so that you can maintain an income while fighting against this unfair treatment. Our website has more on the steps you can take after you lose your job due to retaliation so that you are doing all you can to protect yourself and holding employers accountable for their illegal actions.