6 Examples of Workplace Retaliation

Have you been victimized at work because your employer didn’t like something you did? It is very common for employers to take out their frustrations on their workers. At times, this falls under the scope of employment, but in other situations, the retaliation goes way too far and violates workplace laws and regulations. Many workers many not even know they are victims of retaliation, especially if they’re used to unfair treatment at work. Here are 6 examples of workplace retaliation to help you understand if your employer has targeted you in some way.

Your employer made sudden or unfair changes to your work schedule

If you’re a worker who operates on a rotating schedule or who has varying hours, you likely have certain days that you cannot work or that you cannot come in before a specific time. Managers tend to work with you and are glad to have someone who is available for different shifts. However, if you recently had to change your working days up or if you spoke out about some practice that you didn’t disagree with, you may find yourself the victim of sudden changes to your hours.

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Managers can elect to cut your hours back or only schedule you for inconvenient shifts. For example, your manager may know that you take classes at night and choose to schedule shifts that are very close to your class times or will result in you losing a lot of time to travel. Not only can this impact your work performance, but it could affect other areas of your life as well.

You were faced with hostility at work:

Some managers are naturally severe and not open with their employees. However, open hostility can be toxic to a workplace – and it can be hard to deal with if you are the target. If your employer doesn’t treat you with respect, refuses to even smile at you, rejects your attempts at conversation, berates your work and performance, and makes it a hard time for you to get through the day, you could be facing hostility. It can be especially apparent if nobody else is treated the way you are.

You had no opportunities for promotions or raises:

Workers generally tend to aim for promotions, better benefits, higher wages, or more appealing perks, especially if they have had a history of good performance. You may have caused some frustration to your manager, though, and he could deny you any potential chances for you to move up in the company. You could be passed over for promotions and get told that a raise simply isn’t in the budget. However, this could be labeled as retaliation quite easily if other individuals at your workplace managed to acquire the benefits you wanted.

You were excluded from activities at your workplace:

Social activities can benefit the collective atmosphere of your job, and you may always participate in the – holiday parties, lunch outings, and birthday celebrations. Your employer may start excluding you from these celebrations, though, whether by simply not inviting you or scheduling you to work when the event is occurring.

You may also be prevented from participating in work-related activities, such as training days, reviews, evaluations, forums, and more. This can negatively impact your job development.

You were given poor job performance reviews and evaluations. check BS7858 Security Vetting

Your business may have a policy that revolves around positive reviews, and if there is a long list of complaints against you or numerous negative evaluations, you could face repercussions like reduced hours and an inability to secure references in the future. You may have been subjected to these reviews because you acted in a way that your manager did not like.

You were fired from your job:

At-will employment can make it problematic for employees who are fired. The business can simply claim they needed to downsize or that the performance was not up to snuff. You could have a fair amount of evidence that you did not deserve to be fired, though.

“It’s illegal to fire someone as retaliation, such as for whistleblowing or filing a complaint about harassment, but companies do it all the time because they can get away with it,” says Farid Yaghoubtil, founder of the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group.

Wrongful termination can be a troublesome event, and you may have a lot of difficulty proving that it was a result of retaliation. Other co-workers may not want to speak up on your behalf because they are fearful they may lose their own jobs.

How do you fight back?

If you were retaliated against at work, it is in your favor to do everything you can to take action against your company. You should always consult with someone with a law firm or from the EEOC to discuss possible routes forward. If you’re not adequately aware of the laws and rules surrounding retaliation, a knowledgeable person can enlighten you. Workplace retaliation is a serious issue, and you need to do all you can to identify it and deal with it.