TrainingBriefs® Retaliation: Protected Activities

When an employee makes a complaint against us, our first reaction is often to get mad and defensive— especially when they didn’t come to us first. That’s only natural. We’re human. But, as managers, we have to control our emotions, treat the employee professionally and with respect. And we have to ensure that our actions don’t lead to claims of retaliation.

At its most basic level, retaliation means “to get revenge.” Under several federal, as well as many state and local employment laws, retaliation is defined as any action or activity that would either dissuade a reasonable person from engaging in a protected activity; or punish them for having engaged in a protected activity.