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Retaliation

It's illegal for an employer to punish you for asserting your workplace rights — including reporting discrimination, requesting accommodations, or participating in an investigation.

What counts as protected activity

Filing an EEOC charge, reporting discrimination or harassment internally, requesting a religious or disability accommodation, taking FMLA leave, raising a wage complaint, or participating as a witness in someone else's complaint are all protected activities.

What counts as retaliation

Any action that would discourage a reasonable employee from making or supporting a complaint — termination, demotion, pay cut, schedule change, exclusion from meetings, sudden negative reviews, or even constant nitpicking that wasn't there before.

Timing is critical evidence

A close gap between your protected activity and the adverse action is one of the strongest signals of retaliation. Keep dated records of when you complained and when things changed.

Red flags to watch for

Sudden negative reviews right after a complaint
Shift, location, or duty changes that feel punitive
Being excluded from meetings or projects you used to handle
Termination within weeks of asserting a workplace right

Next up

FMLA — Family & Medical Leave