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DFW Employment Law
Doing the right thing should never cost you your job.
When you report harassment, file a complaint, request leave, or refuse to break the law, you're protected. Punishing you for it is retaliation — one of the most common and most winnable employment claims.
Retaliation happens when an employer takes a negative action against you — firing, demotion, pay cut, discipline, or worse assignments — because you engaged in a legally protected activity. You don't even have to be right that the underlying conduct was illegal; you just need a good-faith belief and a protected complaint. Retaliation is the single most frequently filed charge with the EEOC.
Protected activities the law shields
- Reporting or opposing discrimination or harassment
- Filing a complaint or charge with the EEOC or TWC
- Participating in a workplace investigation
- Requesting a disability accommodation or medical leave
- Reporting unsafe conditions, wage violations, or illegal activity
- Filing a workers' compensation claim
What retaliation looks like
Retaliation isn't always a firing. It can be a sudden demotion, a pay cut, an unjustified write-up, exclusion from meetings, a transfer to a worse shift or location, or a hostile shift in how you're treated — anything that would discourage a reasonable employee from speaking up. Timing matters a lot: when discipline lands shortly after you complained, that sequence can be powerful evidence.
Proving a retaliation claim
The key links are: (1) you engaged in a protected activity, (2) your employer took an adverse action, and (3) there's a connection between the two — often shown through timing, shifting explanations, or different treatment than other employees. We help you document the sequence and build that connection.
Do I have a case?
If any of this sounds familiar, let's talk.
- You were written up, demoted, or fired soon after making a complaint.
- Your hours, shift, or duties got worse after you reported a problem.
- You were excluded or treated coldly after participating in an investigation.
- You were punished after requesting leave or a disability accommodation.
- You refused to do something illegal and faced consequences for it.
Common questions
Straight answers.
What is workplace retaliation?
It's when an employer punishes you for a legally protected action — like reporting discrimination, filing a complaint, requesting leave, or refusing to break the law. The punishment can be firing, demotion, a pay cut, discipline, or other adverse treatment.
Do I have to prove the original complaint was right?
No. You generally only need a good-faith, reasonable belief that the conduct you reported was unlawful. Even if the underlying complaint doesn't succeed, retaliation for making it can still be illegal.
How important is timing?
Very. When an adverse action follows closely after your protected activity, that timing can be strong circumstantial evidence of retaliation — especially combined with shifting explanations or unequal treatment.
What's the deadline to act?
Retaliation claims under the discrimination laws generally must be filed with the EEOC within 300 days. Other retaliation claims have their own deadlines, so call promptly.
Areas we serve
Representing employees across Dallas–Fort Worth.
Serving employees across the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. Charges for the DFW area are handled through the EEOC Dallas District Office and the Texas Workforce Commission.
Take the first step
The sooner you have counsel, the more options you have.
Reaching out today can change the outcome.