Reach Out Here

Retaliation at work is way more common than people realize. You speak up about harassment, discrimination, or a toxic environment, and suddenly your job gets harder, colder, or you get pushed out completely. A lot of people think this is just “bad luck” or “HR doing their job,” but many times it’s actually illegal.

In this episode of The Glamorous Grind, Ilona and Mila talk openly about what really happens behind the scenes when you report something at work and your employer starts treating you differently. Mila shares what she sees every day as an employment attorney, and Ilona adds her perspective on how businesses try to protect themselves and where things go wrong.

Here’s what we break down together:
- What retaliation actually looks like under California law
- Real examples of employees who were punished for speaking up
- How to tell the difference between an at-will firing and wrongful termination
- What a healthy HR response looks like versus a red flag
- What to document so you can protect yourself
- What your rights are if HR refuses to put anything in writing
- What remedies employees can pursue like back pay and emotional distress damages
- How smaller companies can defend themselves when they are wrongly accused

We also react to a classic Mad Men firing scene and talk about how often these situations still happen today.

If you’re trying to understand whether your firing, demotion, or job change was retaliation, this episode will give you clarity and real-world steps to take.

Want more glam during your grind?

New episodes every other Tuesday. Make sure you are subscribed on YouTube and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ Hosts: Ilona Antonyan & Mila Arutunian
📲 Follow us on IG: @glamorousgrindpodcast