All employees have certain rights that their employers must respect. For instance, workers are entitled to fair pay, meal breaks and a safe working environment. The majority of employers take this seriously and act in adherence with the law. However, there are times when an employer may fall short in their duties and a worker has no option but to report the legal breach.
In such instances, an employee should not be penalized. Being penalized for asserting legal rights is referred to as retaliation. What does workplace retaliation look like?
Being demoted or fired
The most blatant form of retaliation is being fired for asserting your legal rights as a worker. Generally, this happens in two ways. Firstly, the employee may be fired on the spot. However, there are occasions where the employee may be constructively dismissed. This means that their working conditions are made so poor that they feel they have no option but to leave.
Decrease in salary
Often, a worker may not be fired but they instead have their salary reduced as a result of trying to assert their legal rights. A decrease in salary may include a reduced hourly rate, no opportunities for overtime and any other form of restriction in terms of monetary benefits.
Changes in shift patterns
Retaliation may also occur in the form of changes in schedules. For instance, a worker may be asked to work every single weekend, while no other employee is obliged to do so. Or, they may be put on shifts no one else wants. Adjusting a schedule to make life difficult for an employee is also a form of retaliation.
Workplace retaliation is not something that you have to put up with. With the appropriate legal guidance, you can find a way to remedy the situation.