Coworkers aren’t always your friends. If you have done something that your coworker or supervisor doesn’t like, they may feel the need to get revenge. Here are some things you need to know about workplace retaliation in New Jersey.

What is workplace retaliation?

Workplace retaliation is an adverse action that an employer takes against their employee after engaging in activities that are protected under law. For example, if you expose one of your managers for participating in illegal activities, and then that manager gets you fired as a way to retaliate against you, that is workplace retaliation. Activities that are protected under the law include resisting sexual advances, reporting a coworker for sexual harassment, refusing to partake in illegal activities, filing for workers compensation benefits and a few other things.

Types of workplace retaliation

There are many different forms of workplace retaliation. A coworker trying to get you fired as a way to get revenge is a common type of workplace retaliation. Other than getting you terminated, if your employer demotes you or refuses to promote you, that could also be retaliation.

Lowering your salary, reducing the number of hours you’re working, changing your shift to something more unpleasant, reassigning your duties to something more unpleasant and excluding you from team meetings are all different forms of workplace retaliation. All of these things violate employment law statutes and can get your employer in legal trouble.

What to do if you are being retaliated against

If your employer is trying to get revenge for actions you took that are protected under law, you might want to hire an employment law attorney and pursue a workplace retaliation claim.