Employers should always have clear employment practices in place that prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace. They should be quick to act when there are issues reported to them.
All employees should understand exactly what qualifies as retaliation. This can help them to determine if that’s what is going on.
Retaliation includes more than just termination
Retaliation is any negative employment action. This can include things like your pay being cut or being moved to a less desirable shift. Anything that negatively impacts your employment and is in response to a protected activity is considered retaliation.
Retaliation must be in response to a protected event
Some activities are deemed protected under the law. These include filing a claim based on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws against the employer or participating in investigations into these matters. Reporting discrimination, harassment and illegal activities are also protected. Refusing sexual advances and standing up for someone who’s being harassed also fall into this category. One key point here is that the protected activity must be based on facts.
Retaliation has limits
Employees still have to do their job satisfactorily. They can still face disciplinary measures if they don’t do what is required of them. The key here is that the disciplinary measures can’t be in response to a protected action, and they must apply to all employees who do the same actions.
Retaliation should never be a factor in the workplace. If you think you’ve been retaliated against, now is the time to learn your legal rights. You don’t have to sit back and deal with that type of behavior. Just don’t wait too long because these cases have time limits.