How To Identify, Prevent, And Respond To Retaliation Harassment In The Workplace

Retaliation harassment in the workplace is a serious issue that can negatively affect both employees and the company. Employers must understand how to identify, prevent, and respond to retaliation harassment to create a safe and healthy work environment for all employees.

Identifying Retaliation Harassment

Retaliation harassment is defined as any adverse action taken against an employee because they have made a complaint of harassment or discrimination or have participated in an investigation or proceeding related to such a complaint. This can include, but is not limited to, demotion, firing, or threats of violence.

Some signs that retaliation harassment may be occurring in the workplace include:

• An employee who has recently made a complaint of harassment or discrimination experiences a change in their work conditions or treatment.
• An employee who has participated in an investigation or proceeding related to a complaint of harassment or discrimination is targeted for negative or adverse actions.
• An employee who has recently made a complaint of harassment or discrimination is suddenly and unexpectedly demoted or fired.
• Employees who are aware of a complaint of harassment or discrimination report feeling afraid or intimidated by the alleged harasser.

Preventing Retaliation Harassment

There are several steps that employers can take to prevent retaliation harassment in the workplace. These include:

• Developing and implementing a clear and comprehensive anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy.
• Providing regular training to all employees on the company’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy and their rights and responsibilities under the policy.
• Creating a confidential and accessible process for employees to report harassment or discrimination.
• Following through on complaints of harassment or discrimination in a timely and thorough manner, with appropriate disciplinary action taken as necessary.
• Regularly monitoring the workplace for signs of retaliation harassment and acting as necessary.

Responding to Retaliation Harassment

When retaliation harassment does occur in the workplace, employers need to take swift and appropriate action to address the issue. This can include:

• Investigating the complaint of retaliation harassment in a thorough and timely manner.
• Providing support and protection to the employee who has been retaliated against, including offering them a safe work environment and accommodations as necessary.
• Taking disciplinary action against the individual or individuals responsible for the retaliation harassment, up to and including termination of employment.
• Reviewing and revising the company’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies and procedures as necessary to prevent future retaliation harassment.

Conclusion 

Retaliation harassment is a serious issue that can have a detrimental effect on both employees and the company. Employers must take steps to identify, prevent and respond to retaliation harassment to create a safe and healthy work environment for all employees. Regular training, creating a confidential and accessible process for employees to report harassment or discrimination, and taking disciplinary action as necessary are all key steps that can be taken to prevent retaliation harassment in the workplace.

This blog post was originally published here.