WRONGFUL TERMINATION AND RETALIATION: Ventura County Found Guilty of Retaliation & Wrongful Termination

July 11,2011

Ventura County - The state labor commissioner, who is also head of the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, has determined that the county is guilty of retaliation and wrongful termination after it fired a social worker who complained about possible dangerous work conditions.

Reports said Peggy Gartman, from Ventura, was working in the Public Relations Office when the problem started in 2010.

She was required to drive client in a wheelchair from a hospital in Corona to a court hearing in the county. She then found out that the client is using an oxygen tank.

Gartman felt that carrying the tank is dangerous because it is combustible and flammable. She informed her supervisors about the problem and asked how she can deal with the situation next time it happens.

However, her managers failed to address her concerns immediately.

A month later, one of them only advised her to strap the tank with a seatbelt. Gartman still felt that it is not safe or practical.

According to reports, Gartman was again asked to drive the man though she is still worried about the problem. She then talked to a Human Services Agency safety officer and ended up voicing out her concerns to a deputy director.

Gartman was fired on May 6, allegedly due to “poor judgment.”

Reports said the county was required to compensate her for lost wages. In addition, the labor commissioner also ordered the Human Services Agency to hire her to work in a similar position.