Most of the people are already aware of the fact that certain laws exist for protecting employees against harassment and discrimination. However, many of them are not aware that these laws are also meant for safeguarding employees against workplace retaliation. This implies that an employer does not have any rights to punish an employee for complaining against harassment, assault, and discrimination in the workplace. An employer also cannot punish his/her employees for indulging in organization investigations and taking help from CT employment lawyers. That said, punishment does not only refer to demotion or firing an employee from the job. Rather it also includes other potential negative actions, starting from denial from training opportunities to denial of an appraisal.
It is the right and duty of every employee to report workplace retaliation, if and when s/he faces it. That said, in order to deal with retaliation properly, you need to know and understand how to identify workplace retaliation, why to report it promptly, and how it can be prevented.
How to Identify Workplace Retaliation?
In order to figure out if you are facing retaliation in your workplace, you should be aware of how retaliation actually looks like. Here are some elements that almost every case of workplace retaliation generally involves:
- Loss of pay
- Demotion
- Getting fired from the job
- Unexplained job transfer
- Enhanced scrutiny
- Physical, written, or verbal abuse
- The spread of malicious rumors
- Unexpectedly poor performance review
- Threats of spoiling the career of an employee
What to Do on Suspecting Retaliation?
If you feel that you are facing retaliation by your employer, you need to first have a word with your HR or manager about the potential reasons for negative actions. You can even go ahead and ask out specific questions that may concern you. Your employer may have a sound explanation for the actions that are bothering you. However, if s/he is unable to help you with a convincing and legitimate explanation, you need to promptly voice out that your employer is retaliating against you. Undoubtedly enough, your employer would deny the charge of retaliation. Also, it might be possible that your employer would be retaliating without even realizing it. However, you must convey that the potential negative acts happened right after you made a complaint and straightaway tell that it has to stop immediately. In case your employer is not admitting the act of retaliation or fixing the issue, you should consider hiring a certified and experienced retaliation attorney. Good and established workplace retaliation lawyers can investigate the matter thoroughly, interview the potential witnesses, scrutinize the retaliation policies of your organization, and help you out with an appropriate solution.
Why Do You Need to Report Retaliation?
Employees should report potential retaliation taking place against them in the workplace as retaliation ends up with their rights getting compromised. Workplace retaliation carried out by an employer against an employee affects him/her adversely in terms of career and physical, emotional, and mental health.
Career Effect
Workplace retaliation can hamper the career of the concerned employee in a number of ways:
- The employee may get demoted to a lower position
- The employee may not receive appraisals and promotions as per his/her performance
- The employee may get fired from his/her job without any convincing reason
- The employee may be excluded from important training sessions and other career-wise important workplace activities
Physical, Emotional, and Mental Health Effect
Acts of retaliation at the workplace can even lead the concerned employee to experience potential physical, emotional, and mental health concerns such as:
- Depression
- Frustration
- Loss of confidence and motivation
- Loss of focus on work and life
- Increased stress level
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Fear and nervousness
Building a Strong Workplace Retaliation Case
If you are facing retaliation at the workplace and the employer is not fixing the issue even after you have addressed the same, you will require showing a strong connection between the retaliatory behavior of the employer and your complaint. Hence, you need to save the evidence and the more proof you possess in hand, the better it is to support your claim.
In order to develop a strong case of workplace retaliation, you need to keep a record of the alleged retaliatory actions. You should also document historical data about the behavior of the employer before you made the complaint. For instance, if the employer says that your work performance is not very good after you complained, consider finding out any potential messages or emails manifesting that s/he was happy with your job prior to the complaint.
Hiring a Retaliation Attorney
You must consult with a reputed retaliation lawyer if you strongly believe that you are experiencing retaliation at your workplace, especially if you have lost heavy wages or have been fired. The employment retaliation lawyers are intelligent enough to build a sound retaliation case and help you with the required compensation.