Legal Question in Employment Law in Virginia

I sent an email yesterday to the head office of Huntleigh USA about the bad work habits and wrong doings at Norfolk Airport by their staff. That very afternoon things were put into motion to remedy these problems. I'm thinking wow I made a difference and did the right thing. Well I notice that a lot of my co-workers weren't speaking to me, giving me the cold shoulder and evil eye. I feel that someone told the other employees who told the head office what was going on. This made for a very uncomfortable and hostile work enviroment. I sent a resignation email in today which is the day after my initial email to the head office. Are there any wrong doings by the supervisors at Norfolk Airport and can anything be done to make sure that in the future when someone takes a stand that they will not be singled out and put through the emotional stress and discomfort that I had to face yesterday?


Asked on 4/23/10, 11:21 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Jonathon Moseley Moseley & Associates Law Firm

Virginia is a State that believes very strongly in the freedom to contract (to enter into any contracts you and the employer want), and is an "at will" State. So IF you have not signed a contract with an employer, they can fire you for no reason or for any reason.

HOWEVER, retaliation for reporting misconduct (especially against the law or against public policy) is one of the FEW situations in Virginia in which you might have legal rights to not be fired, not be demoted, not be treated badly in the work place.

If you reported wrong doing, and THEN you were treated badly in the work place, you might have legal rights against this.

However, I don't think it is enough simply that people were not speaking to you or giving you the cold shoulder or evil eye.

The kind of retaliation that the law considers is being passed over for promotion, having your hours cut, being assigned to worse duties, being demoted, being denied benefits or work privilieges that otehrs in similar situations receive. SImply getting bad looks is not enough.

I don't know why you would so quickly resign, unless you can get another job quickly. (If you can get another, similar job easily, then it may be good common sense to be in a place where (a) there is no wrongdoing and (b) you will be more welcome and will be treated well in your job in the future.)

Because you quit, and so quickly, you probably lost any rights to file a lawsuit or take other legal action, because you quit on your own. It was yoru own decision to quit, the law would say.

Before quitting so quickly, I think yo ushould have talked to the personnel office about your rights to be treated properly in the office, and anyone up the line that you think is honest or neutral.

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Answered on 5/06/10, 10:10 am


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