A female former forklift driver's legal battle against her employer has resulted in a broad rule protecting workers who fear retaliation.

Sheila White, 49, had complained that her foreman had sexually harassed her nine years ago. When she complained a second time, she was reassigned to a railway track job, then suspended without pay, the court was told (Forkliftaction.com News #257).

"I was moving spike cans that weighed 150lbs," she said. "The date they took me off that forklift and put me in the yard to work with the men, I didn't know the first thing about it. Everything out there was hot and heavy. You could easily get killed or hurt out there," White said.

The US Supreme Court last Thursday ruled that White's employer, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Company, had retaliated against her even though it did not fire or demote her, The New York Times reported.

The decision is expected to bolster legal protection for employees who complain of discrimination. A jury in a lower court will determine punitive damages.