Dealing with conflict in the workplace can make your job stressful. In addition to issues like discrimination and harassment, you may also worry about what will happen if you report inappropriate behavior in the workplace.
In some cases, the upper divisions of a company will make an employee feel safe and value their feedback. In other instances, the situation can become hostile, but retaliation can also seem more discreet.
These are some signs that you are a victim of retaliation in your workplace.
Change in duties
Depending on your situation, your job duties or location may change to protect you from further conflict in the workplace. However, the change should not be punitive.
Signs a change in duties could be retaliation are situations, such as:
- Less desirable work location
- Demotion in tasks or title
- Less desirable work hours
Changes like these can mean that your employer is trying to make the workplace uncomfortable for you because of your report.
Sometimes retaliation is more subtle
Retaliation is not always simple to spot. In many cases, employers know the obvious methods of retaliation. They may make your job uncomfortable or difficult to leave in less obvious ways, such as:
- Refusing promotions for vague reasons
- Opposition when looking for a new job
- Exclusion from workplace functions
- Hostile comments
- Increased scrutiny of job performance
Often, it is not a matter of whether someone in your workplace intended to retaliate; typically, it is whether the action feels like retaliation to you. If you encounter these situations after reporting discrimination or harassment in the workplace, it is critical to talk to an experienced professional about what to do next.