If you file a charge of discrimination or oppose this type of behavior in any way, it is unlawful for your employer to take adverse action.
When it comes protected activities with respect to retaliation, there are a few things you need to know. Here are some examples of protected opposition:
— Complaining to another party about discrimination against oneself.
— Refusing to obey an order because you feel it is discriminatory.
— Threatening to file a discrimination charge if the activity does not cease.
— Picketing to show your opposition to discrimination.
Along with these examples of protected opposition, there are some activities that are not protected. These include but are not limited to:
— Unlawful activity, such as making a threat to physically harm another person.
— Any action that interferes with the job performance to the point of an employee becoming ineffective.
When people feel they are being discriminated against at their place of employment, they must know their rights. This includes the steps they can take and when to take them, what their employer can do to them, and how to pinpoint if they have been victims of retaliation.
There is no place for discrimination in the workplace. Furthermore, this should never result in a company retaliating against an employee. Instead, both parties should realize the importance of working out the issue as quickly as possible to ensure that it does not escalate.
When a person is discriminated against, eventually leading to retaliation, it is only going to make the situation worse in the long run.
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Facts About Retaliation,” accessed Sep. 15, 2015