What is workplace retaliation?

Employees have a legal right to have a workplace that’s free of harassment, discrimination and illegal activity. They should feel free to speak up if any of these occur. Sadly, there are some employees who are concerned about speaking up because they fear they’ll face negative employment actions if they say anything.

Laws are in place to protect workers who speak out against illegal matters, including discrimination and harassment. The law forbids employers from retaliating against employees who participate in a protected activity. There are many actions employers may take that are considered retaliation.

What are some examples of retaliation?

The easiest way to explain retaliation is that it’s anything negative an employer does in response to an employee filing a complaint or cooperating with an investigation. This includes actions, such as:

• Reducing the employee’s hours
• Cutting the employee’s pay
• Moving the employee to a less desirable shift, position or location
• Giving negative reviews that aren’t warranted
• Terminating the employee
• Spreading false rumors
• Making working conditions unbearable
• Abusing the employee verbally or physically
• Setting a schedule known to conflict with the employee’s family responsibilities or religious beliefs

Anyone who believes they’ve been the victim of retaliation should ensure that they’re keeping an account of everything related to this matter. This could help them if they opt to pursue legal action related to the situation. Working with a person who’s familiar with employment laws is beneficial since they can evaluate your circumstances and provide you with the options you may pursue. Strict time limits apply to these cases, so you should get started quickly.