Getting fired from your job certainly could be a type of retaliation. Perhaps you think you have been victimized by wage theft or racial discrimination, for example. You file a report with human resources, and then your boss calls you into his office to tell you that you are being let go. You know that it’s because you tried to take action to protect your rights, so this is illegal retaliation by your employer.
But do not assume that you have to be fired in order for retaliation to have taken place. Here are some other examples of what it may look like.
Changes in reviews
For one thing, you may find that your performance evaluations and reviews have declined. You’re still doing your job correctly, and you used to get glowing reviews, but now they all seem negative. Is your employer just trying to make up excuses to fire you by giving you inaccurate evaluations?
Changes to your job
Another issue is if your job itself changes substantially. Maybe your boss transfers you to a different position that you never wanted. Maybe they tell you that they’re going to be cutting your pay. Perhaps they start excluding you from company events. You get to keep your job, but the changes could still be retaliation.
Verbal abuse or harassment
Finally, employers may just create a hostile work environment by marginalizing you and subjecting you to verbal abuse or even harassment on the job. They may be trying to hassle you enough that you quit so that they can get around illegally firing you.
If you do feel that you’ve been subjected to workplace retaliation and it has violated your rights, take the time to look into all of your legal options.
