California employees have the protected right to report discrimination, harassment and unsafe or illegal workplace activities. When an employee engages in a protected action, they are protected from workplace retaliation.
Workplace retaliation refers to when an employer terminates an employee for engaging in legally protected activities. However, an employer may also attempt to make a hostile workplace environment for an employee who has engaged in a protected activity. An employer may retaliate against an employee in hopes that they will quit or ignore illegal activities.
Employees should be aware of the following signs of workplace retaliation:
1. Overburdened with work
An employer may suddenly increase their employee’s workload. The work may be too much for one person to handle alone, especially if the employee is expected to meet short deadlines. When an employee fails to complete all of their tasks, an employer may give them a poor performance review, which could impact the employee’s position, duties and salary.
2. Changed job role
An employee may find that their job role has suddenly and unexplainably changed. They may no longer be in charge of a team, and they may be unqualified for their new duties. An employer may change an employee’s role to try to encourage the employee to find employment elsewhere.
3. Passed over for a promotion
An employer may have promised an employee a huge raise or better benefits. However, the employer never gave the raise or benefits to their employee when the time came. An employer may have reacted this way after an employee reported harassment or illegal workplace activities.
If you are being treated poorly at work and believe you are facing retaliation for your protected actions, you can seek legal guidance and learn how to protect your rights.