In certain situations where you are the employee and the boss is the big honcho he or she might find it funny to belittle you. Frankly, I dislike people like this. People that think just because they are the “boss” that they can treat employees however they want because they can. But, there is a line between someone being a bully – a jerk just for the sake of being a jerk, and someone physically hurting you or discriminating against you because of your weight, skin color, orientation or you origin. If your boss is a bully, you’ll probably know he’s a bully by the way it makes you feel and or look in front of others. For example, let’s say you have a boss and he kicked you, like he physically kicked you with his foot. Is this against the law? If anything physical ever happens at the office, here are things you will want to know when it concerns the law or contacting an employment lawyer in NJ.
Physical Hurt vs. Emotional Hurt
Physical hurt vs. emotion hurt are two very different things. If you were emotionally hurt when your boss kicked you i.e.; your ego got hurt or you were embarrassed by what happen, you might not be able to do anything about it. However, if your boss physically hurt you, then you might have a lawsuit on your hands. If you weren’t physically hurt but you were emotionally hurt, a lawyer probably won’t take your case. If you were physically hurt, they probably will take you on as a client.
Reporting It
When the incident happened, did you report it to someone? If you reported it to the Human Resources Department or to the cops and then were retaliated against, you could have a whistle blower case. Make sure that you DO report what happened, not only via a phone call, but write out your own report. If you have any bleeding, scratches, bruises or bumps, also make sure you take pictures of them as well as proof that your boss DID physically attack you and he or she did indeed hurt you.
Why Were You Kicked?
If you were just kicked to be kicked and you sustained no real injury, but you were kicked because of one of the protected categories; race, sex, age, origin, creed, you are a whistleblower or know of any illegal activity going on, or because you took FMLA, you may be able to sue your boss and you may have a case that an employment lawyer will take. Make sure you check out your laws in your specific state to find out more about bullying, physical abuse or abuse of any kind regarding the protected categories for more information as to what is not allowed.
What Qualifies As Physical Abuse
In any case where a person touches another person – its abuse. It doesn’t matter if it’s a slap to the back of the head, a kick to the knee, a punch to the stomach or anything else. If there was physical contact of any kind, it’s wrong and should be reported. Its most likely not against the law, as mentioned above, unless you actually have been hurt physically (blood, needing stitches, scratches, etc.), however, as also stated above, if you were abused because of where you are from, who you pray to, what color your skin is, what your sexual orientation is, etc. you almost definitely have a case on your hands that should be handled by the lawyer on your case and the law.
