One of the most common types of retaliation that workers face is simply that they get fired. For instance, maybe there is sexual harassment taking place on the job. An employee may be hesitant to report that they are being harassed because they are worried that they will be fired for the report. After all, maybe it is a supervisor or even the CEO who is committing the harassment.
If this does happen, it is likely a wrongful termination. But it’s also wise to remember that retaliation does not have to mean the termination of a position entirely. There are many other types of retaliation that you could experience, even if you are allowed to keep your job.
Significantly changing your work experience
The issue to look for is when someone in a position of power changes the work environment or the experience to make it negative for you, intentionally and as a form of retaliation for the event that took place. Examples include:
- Cutting your hours
- Reducing your pay
- Scheduling you for shifts that are in conflict with personal obligations
- Giving negative performance reviews without reason
- Assigning you to the times or locations no other employees want
- Transferring you to a different department or a different position
- Refusing to give you pay raises or promotions
In some cases, employers will simply try to make the employee’s life miserable to get them to quit, so that they can avoid wrongful termination allegations. But this could still be a violation of the employee’s rights, and you need to know what legal steps to take if you find yourself in this position.
