HR Glossary
Workplace Retaliation
Adverse action taken against an employee for reporting misconduct or exercising a legal right.
Definition
Workplace retaliation occurs when an employer takes negative action — demotion, termination, exclusion — against an employee because they reported misconduct, filed a complaint, or exercised a legally protected right.
Why It Matters
Protecting against retaliation is essential for grievance and whistleblower processes to actually function.