I was let go in January for discussing a situation with other employees in which I was unjustly passed over in a sales competition by my employer in which the reward was an out of country trip for me and my spouse. The competition was judged off of our performance, and all of the qualifications and details were spelled out in writing publicly to the entire sales organization. Our sales numbers were PUBLIC until around Thanksgiving of last year, when they were taken down from public view.

Through some glitch, I was still able to see the rankings and frequently shared them with those who couldn't see them. At the end of the year, I knew I had qualified for the trip. In January, I was notified indirectly that I would not be going on the trip. I then shared screenshots with my manager proving that I had qualified for the trip and asking him to clarify why I wasn't selected. Three days later, I was fired.

Even during my affidavit, the NLRB investigator mentioned to me that this is a textbook case of coercive rules and a retaliatory firing. So I'm confident mediation will begin soon, but my question is, how much should I ask for, if not reinstatement?

I was unemployed after this firing for nearly 5 months, and in that same time frame last year, I earned nearly $100k (total 2023 earnings were closer to $200k). I am tempted to ask for an entire year's worth of pay or demand to be reinstated and also receive back pay for the time I was unemployed.

I'm not opposed to reinstatement, because I firmly believe the VP of sales who initiated my firing will be gone from the company after this case is settled, and I'd essentially be close to untouchable after reinstatement, considering anything they do after that would be considered retaliation and another case.

Interested to hear your thoughts.