Employees have the right to report harassment, such as inappropriate touching, racist or sexist language or other offensive behavior at their workplace. Reporting harassment allows employees the opportunity to have a safe workplace environment. However, employees may face more difficulties — retaliation — after they report harassment.
Employees who have reported workplace harassment can be protected from retaliation. Retaliation is an action that attempts to punish an employee for exercising protected activities. However, employee protections may not stop an employer from retaliating against an employee to protect its reputation. Workers may need to be aware of a few common retaliatory actions after reporting workplace harassment. Here is what you should know:
1. Sudden loss of or change to hours
An employee’s regular work hours may be cut or changed after they report workplace harassment. This can cause an employee to lose a favorable schedule that works around their other jobs, activities and personal life. An employee who works fewer hours also lose wages, which may force them to seek other employment — and that may be the employer’s plan.
2. Denied promotions or raises
An employee may have been promised a promotion or raise, giving them the much-needed income. However, an employee may be denied these opportunities after reporting harassment as retaliation and told simply that “things changed” or that they aren’t getting a bonus for “not being a team player.”
3. Termination of employment
An employee may be suddenly terminated after filing a harassment report. Termination can create many issues for an employee, such as financial hardship and difficulty finding new employment — especially when it is abrupt, or false performance reasons are given.
Similar laws in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. support and reinforce federal laws that protect employees who have reported workplace harassment. Workers who have been subjected to retaliatory actions may need to seek guidance and learn about their legal options.
