Fired or punished for speaking up in Reno?
Losing your job, hours or standing after you reported misconduct, took protected leave or exercised a workplace right may be unlawful.
If your workplace rights were violated, you may be able to pursue compensation for lost pay or emotional harm, and hold your employer accountable.
Not sure whether it was "serious enough"? You can request a review even if you never reported it to HR or are still employed.
What wrongful termination can look like, and what the law calls it.
Not every unfair firing is unlawful. What matters is the real reason behind the decision, and whether that reason is one the law prohibits.
My reviews were fine for years. Then I raised a concern, and suddenly I was 'not a fit.'
The law calls it → potentially wrongful termination
- I was let go shortly after reporting a problem at work. The law calls it → possible retaliatory termination
- They didn't fire me outright, they made the job impossible until I quit. The law calls it → possible constructive discharge
- The stated reason for my firing doesn't match what actually happened. The law calls it → possible pretext for an unlawful termination
- The week after my safety complaint at a Reno fulfillment center, my rate was suddenly below standard. The law calls it → possible retaliation or retaliatory termination
These cover fired for an unlawful reason, fired after reporting misconduct, fired in breach of an agreement, pushed out instead of formally fired, retaliation for asserting workplace rights, in any industry. If something here is familiar, you don't have to be sure before you ask.
Illustrative situations, not client accounts.
Reno's distribution centers, manufacturers, and gaming employers fall under the same Nevada rules as the south: retaliation charges reach the Nevada Equal Rights Commission or the EEOC within 300 days, the public-policy termination suit is generally due in two years, and a Nevada right-to-sue notice starts a roughly 90-day lawsuit window. Northern Nevada cases are filed and heard locally.
What could taking action help you pursue?
Depending on the facts, legal action may help recover financial losses, address emotional harm, restore employment opportunities, or require workplace changes. Available remedies depend on the facts and applicable law; no outcome is guaranteed.
Recover what you lost
Lost pay, benefits, hours, and employment opportunities tied to the unlawful conduct.
Address the harm
Compensation for emotional distress may be available where the law provides for it.
Restore an opportunity
Some cases may involve reinstatement, promotion, corrected records, or another job-related remedy.
Create accountability
A resolution may include policy changes, training, or other corrective workplace action.
You do not need a perfect record, or even to know whether what happened was illegal, before asking what your options are.
Common concerns we hear from employees
I never reported it to HR.
You may still have legal options. Not reporting immediately does not automatically end your rights, although the specific facts can affect a claim.
I don't have screenshots or witnesses.
You do not need a complete evidence file before contacting us. We can help identify texts, emails, schedules, witnesses, and other evidence that may matter.
I still work there.
You can ask questions while still employed. Retaliating against a worker for opposing unlawful conduct or asserting protected rights may itself be unlawful.
My employer says I was fired for performance. Does that end the issue?
No. The stated reason is evidence, not the final answer. Timing, earlier reviews, shifting explanations, and how coworkers were treated can all show the real reason was retaliation.
Erika Smolyar
Associate · Admitted in Nevada
Erika Smolyar leads the firm's Nevada cases and represents employees in workplace harassment, discrimination, and retaliation matters. She is licensed in Nevada and California.
Read Erika's full bio →Selected retaliation, discrimination, and harassment results.
$370K
Individual plaintiff · judgment includes fees and costs · Title VII retaliation judgment
Final
$23.5M
Financial-services workforce · 150 women · Sexual harassment settlement
Final · Craig Ackermann served as second chair (prior-firm experience)
$15M+
Apparel industry · individual plaintiff · Gender pay and promotion discrimination
Jury verdict, subject to post-trial proceedings, statutory limits, and appeal. Not a settlement or a collected recovery.
$1.3M
Construction workforce · 19 Black workers · Racial harassment
Final
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different; the value and outcome of your matter will depend on its specific facts.
What happens after you reach out?
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal.
- 01
Talk with us
A short initial conversation about what happened and when.
- 02
We assess the record
We identify possible claims, deadlines and evidence that may matter.
- 03
If we take the case
We handle the filing strategy, negotiations and litigation.
Deadlines can depend on where and how you file
Nevada and federal claims may follow different filing routes. These are general time limits, not sequential steps.
Generally, to file a retaliation charge with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission or the EEOC.
NERC, File a Complaint ↗Commonly, for a common-law wrongful-termination lawsuit in Nevada.
Typically, to file a lawsuit after receiving a Nevada right-to-sue notice.
NERC, File a Complaint ↗Other claims and exceptions may have different or shorter deadlines. Contact counsel promptly so the applicable dates can be reviewed.
Nevada retaliation law and wrongful termination in violation of public policy
NRS 613.340; Nevada public-policy tort
Primary source, NRS 613.340; Nevada public-policy tort ↗Share what happened in about two minutes. The firm will review your submission and contact you about possible options and next steps. There is no cost or obligation to request a review.
Deadlines and filing issues for workers in Reno.
- Fulfillment-center productivity systems generate a termination file on demand; the question is always when the file started, and that takes early preservation.
- Seasonal gaming and event work in Reno scatters witnesses; statements gathered in the first month are worth triple later.
- Nevada's two-year court window shrinks to about 90 days once a right-to-sue notice issues on charged claims.
- A move over the California line mid-dispute does not switch your claims to California law.
- Waiting out a rehire promise from a warehouse that 'may staff up next quarter' spends limitations time on hope.
Where do you file a wrongful termination claim in Reno?
Nevada Equal Rights Commission
Northern Nevada Office (Reno)1325 Corporate Blvd., Room 115
Reno, NV 89502
(775) 823-6690
Online-only filing, NERC no longer accepts complaints by mail, fax, or in person. Callers needing accommodation may phone either office.
File online →EEOC San Francisco District Office
There is no EEOC office in Reno, Washoe County is covered by the San Francisco District Office. In practice, everyone files online via the EEOC Public Portal or by phone (1-800-669-4000), or with NERC's Reno office via dual-filing.
450 Golden Gate Avenue, 5 WestSan Francisco, CA 94102-3661
1-800-669-4000 EEOC Public Portal →
Second Judicial District Court (Washoe County)
Washoe County Courthouse75 Court Street
Reno, NV 89501
The common-law tort proceeds in court. A related NRS 613 retaliation claim may use the NERC or EEOC charge process first.
The filing path, step by step
- 1Preserve warehouse and production records first: scan rates, shift assignments, and safety reports at Reno-area employers cycle out quickly.
- 2File the retaliation charge within 300 days; NERC maintains a Reno office, and the EEOC route runs through its Public Portal.
- 3The common-law wrongful-termination lawsuit belongs in Washoe County's Second Judicial District Court, generally within two years.
- 4Federal claims are heard at the Bruce R. Thompson federal courthouse in downtown Reno.
- 5Treat any right-to-sue notice as urgent: roughly 90 days later, the courthouse door closes on that claim.
Wrongful-termination information in other Nevada cities
View all Nevada wrongful termination locations →Asked by Reno workers.
My Reno distribution center fired me for 'rate' a week after my safety complaint. Is the rate defense beatable?
Yes, when the numbers say so: crew-wide rate data, your own trendline, and the timing of enforcement typically decide whether rate was reason or cover.
Where do I even file in northern Nevada?
The NERC Reno office or the EEOC's portal for charges; the Second Judicial District Court in Washoe County for the common-law suit; the federal courthouse in Reno for federal claims.
Do Nevada deadlines differ north versus south?
No. The 300-day charge window, the two-year court clock, and the 90-day post-notice window apply statewide.
Can a manufacturing worker fired for refusing an unsafe order sue directly?
A termination for refusing to violate safety law fits Nevada's public-policy tort, which is filed in court without an agency prerequisite.