7 Signs of Retaliation in the Workplace
Workplace discrimination can manifest in various forms. For example, you can be a victim of racial, sex, disability and/or age discrimination. Fortunately, the law allows you to sue your employer and get compensation.
However, some employers may retaliate against employees who file discrimination cases. Here are some signs of workplace retaliation.
1. Exclusion From Company or Team Meetings
Most organizations hold regular meetings to review company progress and make new plans. If you recently sued your employer, of filed a discrimination complaint pursuant to the company’s policy, the employer might try to sabotage your progress by failing to invite you to meetings.
Failure to ask you to attend a meeting that you used to attend is a sign of workplace retaliation. You will be in the dark concerning company priorities and the latest developments in the organization.
2. Passed Over for Promotion or Raise
Corporations typically have specific procedures on how to promote employees or increase salaries. At some point, you may be eligible for a salary increase or a promotion.
However, management may promote somebody else or refuse to increase your salary. These actions will create an unfair working environment for you, particularly if you recently reported a workplace discrimination incident.
Your employer may fail to promote you because they think they are beating the system. The reasoning will be that they are not directly firing you. Regardless, their actions are just as bad as illegally firing you.
3. Sudden Shift Changes
Sometimes, companies that use shifts make changes to the schedule. The changes are necessary because some shifts happen at inconvenient times, require more work, or are more dangerous.
Hence, just being reassigned to another shift after launching a workplace discrimination claim is not a sign of retaliation. However, if you suddenly get all the bad shifts for extended periods, you may be a victim of workplace retaliation.
4. Reduced Working Hours
Perhaps you are a part-time employee who gets paid per hour but doesn't have minimum working hours. Alternatively, you may have minimum working hours, but most of your income comes from working overtime.
But once you report a workplace discrimination claim, the employer might assign you fewer working hours and no overtime at all. If other employees have no changes in their working hours, then your employer may be retaliating against you.
5. Dismissal
Dismissal is the most direct form of workplace retaliation and the easiest to prove. Assume you just file the complaint accusing your employer of having different pay grades for women and men. A few weeks later, the employer sends you packing and gives a vague reason.
6. Harassment or Bullying
Even after reporting a harassment or bullying case, you may continue experiencing further discrimination. For instance, you might file a sexual harassment complaint against one of the company executives.
A few days later, a rumor spreads that you are an attention seeker, and the harassment never happened. You might even get anonymous notes and emails asking you to abandon the complaint. These are forms of retaliation for filing the initial complaint.
7. Excessively Negative Performance Reviews
Many employees receive negative performance reviews sometimes, so a negative review is not always a sign of retaliation. However, if the negative reviews increase in number and frequency just after you report a workplace discrimination incident, the reviews may be a form of retaliation.
When you get negative reviews, your career prospects will take a hit. For instance, finding another job may be difficult. Similarly, the employer might use the negative reviews to further act against you. For example, your employer can reduce your salary or fail to offer a promotion if you have negative reviews. Sometimes, the employer can fire you and cite the negative feedback as a reason.
Retaliation in the workplace exacerbates the initial discrimination. Fortunately, you can seek legal action if your employer retaliates against you. Contact Allen D. Arnold Attorney at Law. Contact us for more information.
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