How to Complain at Work Properly

This video is about how to complain at work but protect yourself from retaliation. Below are links to the videos I mentioned.

Branigan Robertson is an employment lawyer in Orange County, California. His firm exclusively represents employees in lawsuits against their employers.

Subscribe to his YouTube channel so you can get more practical recommendations on avoiding workplace issues. But note, this channel is not legal advice. You have to call and talk to a lawyer for that.

#complainatwork #hrcomplaint #employmentlawyer

[teledoink]

I learned not to bother complaining to HR or managers at all. When my manager called me into the office and said that a customer had complained and the only description they had given was that it was a womans voice, and she “knew” it was me because she had been told by another manager that I had admitted to being on antidepressants, therefore I was “crazy, ” well I marched on over to the Equal Employment Opportunity office in downtown San Francisco and filed an official complaint against the company. My boss got called into the office of the owner of the company the minute he received that letter, and she got fired on the spot. It was the most satisfying thing I’ve experienced at any job 😂

[dianparrotta]

I sued my company while employed and won my case as far as being bullied at work. Now that I’m retired after working 24 years with this corporation and left with excellent recommendations and a great pension but when I apply for other jobs I was told this corporation is not giving me a good recommendation dispute their excellent written recommendations they gave me before retiring. They also gave me a retirement celebration and nice speeches when I retired.

[mariannegriego]

I love your videos!!!! I've made all of these mistakes out of an extreme emotional reaction to what was going on with me being bullied and harassed at work. I'm now working on being more consistent in my documentation and just stating the facts of who, what, where, and how it made me feel. I wish I would have watched your videos years ago. 😒

[sweetauthority]

HR informed a staff member that what they experienced by their Supervisor is BORDELINE RACISM, but the employee shouldn't submit a formal complaint to corporate just yet, and that the document should be submitted to her 1st. The staff member had coworkers who spoke up for her because of the unfair treatment.
To me it SOUNDS like HR wants to hide info from cooperate while she does the routine investigation.
THANKS for this video. Definitely will be sharing it with the staff member with hopes to help her sort out her interaction with HR.

[ontoyoualways]

No employer wants an honest employee. Why should an employee with integrity and morals have to compromise? If a company is Like breaking a law!! You can say what you think is safe. Trust me, they will twist it. Sometimes, you can't wait for a company to fix something. In the meantime, they want you to break the law and put others, including yourself, at risk.

If you file and take an issue to court, you have screwed your own future!! The employee is still mistreated. Employers talk!! Right or wrong, they talk and get away with it. They have become professionals at it. Oh but in the end, they will stand to be judged!!

[dustinmeier]

It’s amazing how much these little videos can help a Union Steward in the successful performance of his duties. While not a court issue, the practices discussed make life easier and get results.

[wesmins]

He should teach at UC Irvine Law School. This is the kind of professor that students would benefit from!

[cheerio]

I so appreciate your videos. A rather new retiree, I could easily go on about ahem, questionable behavior in the workplace. Thanks to people like you posting videos, the next generation will be able to respond faster and in a more sophisticated way to all the junk that’s been going on for decades.

[johnwolfe]

I love these videos as well. Really helpful. I haven't read all 219 comments, but one thing we tell folks here in Iowa is that when making a record, DO NOT TEXT with SMS or FACEBOOK messages. Even if it's the standard way you communicate with your boss (or landlord or ex-spouse), texting doesn't play well. It's ugly on the page. It's hard to read. It can be confusing to understand who's speaking. Texts can generate into long spiraling conversations. Texting tends towards informality . Often texts don't clearly indicate dates and (in text chains) times of the communication. And too often, texts end up shared (or stored) as screenshots which can be hard to read (especially when printed) and impossible to search. Finally, a series of texted communications would be harder for your boss (landlord, etc.) to share wtih other parties. You often want your concerns to be elevated to somebody who can act on them; a series of texts are much harder - and therefore less likely to be forwarded.
One clear polite email or letter stating a concern is going to outweigh a dozen screenshots of a the same concern.

[natalielasky]

I want to thank you for your videos, because they are very informative for the situation I am in. The fact of putting funny pics in for using the word but makes the videos that much better. As the situation I am going through is very frustraiting and gives me a fresh perspective with a dash of humor, bringing light to the spot my company has put me in. I rarely ever comment on videos, so take that how you may. Keep up the good work!

[jcmcclain]

I love your videos! They are extremely educational and provide a real public service on a topic that is very misunderstood and hard to understand. I have defended myself Pro Se against a large claim and equally large legal team and prevailed... not because I am so smart, but because I caught the other side in a serious procedural error that I exploited and that the judge was sympathetic towards me on. Your videos give the average Joe or Jane smart advice in dealing with difficult situations. Thank you!

PS: Excellent tip on posing issues as questions rather than assertions!

[ovbigb]

Man, this guy knows his shit. Definitely someone I'd want in my corner fighting for me

[adamsoria]

I wish I would have searched and found your page sooner, a few weeks ago I had written a complaint(non threatening but towards a department head for how he spoke and treated me) and that painted a target on my back. Now I catch other managers fishing and going out of their way to sabotage my employment. The sad issue is that our HR department is a 3 hour drive, non responsive through email nor phone. I’m honestly kind of lost because non of my protected rights are being violated but I’m absolutely being treated unfairly, have company executives looking for ways to sabotage my career and worst of all I get blown off by everyone in upper management when I tried discussing the issue.

[christianfiguroa]

God Bless Every Company needs to listen to what there employees say and hopefully everyone is helping each other and respecting each other

[peacefulsurfer]

Thank you very much for this video, I have been having an absolute horrible time with harassment at my job after a workman's comp claim and trying writing a letter to hopefully address it.

[nathanmorgan]

What if the problem is your boss, who is HIGH UP (CFO) and HR has a decade long history of doing nothing when others have complained, pushed out, and or fired?

[susgra]

Wish I'd seen this 3 yrs ago, before I thought I was being helpful telling my boss they were asking me to do something illegal. I was suddenly fired. I had nothing in writing, wasted three years trying to sue before giving up.

[ichigokurosaki]

I wish more employees would watch content like this when they want to make a difference.

[ujue]

How to Complain at Work Properly? DON"T either quit or if possible ignore it. Play dumb/dead you'll be fine. I talk with experience!

[Simple.Wordless]

I subscribed after watching 30 seconds of this video. This lawyer is the real deal and makes boring stuff like this interesting.