You may have been with your company for a long time. Everything seemed fine with your work and your coworkers, until recently when you noticed something had changed. Now you have an itching feeling that something isn’t right and you’re afraid that your employment is at risk.
You may have this feeling because you’re a victim of workplace retaliation. Retaliation is an action done by employers against employees with the intent of punishing them for practicing a legally protected activity, such as reporting discrimination or whistleblowing.
If you believe you’re a victim of retaliation, you may want to watch for these signs:
1. Overworked or underworked
You may have had a recent change in your workload. Perhaps there was a sudden overwhelming amount of work that caused you to work longer or miss deadlines. Or, you suddenly face a lot less work than you’re used to, making your position in the company virtually nonexistent.
2. Demotion
Perhaps your position in the company had unexpectedly changed. An employer might retaliate against you by downgrading your position or reducing your responsibilities, salary and benefits.
3. Denied promotion
Maybe you were aiming for a promotion. You may have even been told that you would get a promotion. Then suddenly they told you they’d decided to give it to someone else less qualified for the role than you.
4. Micromanagement
You may have noticed that your work is under review. Your employer may aggressively critique it for mistakes and errors without providing solutions or with solutions that contradict what you’ve been previously told.
Retaliation can negatively impact your life. If you suspect you are a victim or workplace retaliation you may need to discuss it with someone who understands the law so you can plan your next steps.