As an employee, state and federal laws protect you from unfair treatment by your employer, including retaliation against you for taking certain protected actions. However, this does not always prevent the behavior from occurring.
Here are five signs that you may be a victim of workplace retaliation and what you can do about it.
1. Firing
While it is not against the law for your employer to fire you without reason, it is illegal for them to fire you for engaging in a protected activity, such as reporting unsafe workplace activity or discrimination.
2. Demotion or reassignment
Being forced to change jobs is not always the result of nefarious intentions. However, if your employer demoted or assigned you to a different team or department after you lodged a formal complaint, this may be a sign of retaliation.
3. Reduced hours
Timing is a key factor in determining workplace retaliation. If an hour cut caught you off-guard after taking action against your employer, the timing could suggest unlawful treatment from your employer.
4. Promotion denial
Promotion denial is another suspicious behavior. You may have a retaliation case if you were next in line for a well-deserved promotion, but your employer filled the position with someone less qualified.
5. Exclusion
Not all retaliation is blatant. Disgruntled employers may engage in subtle retaliation, leaving you out of company get-togethers, keeping you out of the loop or otherwise displaying aloof behavior toward you.
If you believe your employer retaliated against you after exercising your protected rights, you can file a claim against them to rectify the wrongdoing.
