S. Anne Marie Archer
- Sep 23, 2022
- 3 min read

Retaliation can be a gift

Updated: Mar 4

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is important to consult with legal professionals for guidance on specific legal matters.

Results on engagements and online courses may vary, successful outcome is not guaranteed.

Many people are afraid to call out racism at work and outright discrimination at work because they’re afraid of retaliation. I want you to know that retaliation while hard to deal with can be a gift. Many companies have specific rules against retaliation especially if they’re receiving federal money. And there are specific anti-discrimination laws that specifically bar retaliation.

So if your employer is not only discriminating against you but then retaliates against you for raising concerns you may have a whole separate claim against them just based on the retaliation.

As always the most important thing is to recognize retaliation and to document it. In real time. So if you raise a concern or complaint at work and then you lose a promotion or your manager starts to single you out for a verbal abuse or you get written up, these can all be examples of retaliation.

Wow HR often will tell you they will keep your claim confidential, usually they really don’t. If they are investigating a manager they have an obligation to tell the manager they are being investigated and while they may not actually name you as a source of the information most managers figure out and connect the docs because they know what they are doing is wrong in the first place. But unfortunately, many of them do not have the common sense or self-control to not retaliate.

It’s important to document retaliation and raise it immediately in writing and verbally with Human Resources.

And it’s important for you to call it what you believe it is - retaliation. If you believe the action by your manager is retaliatory you have to say so.

Yes it can be scary but. If you’re brave enough to call out discriminatory behavior at work Be brave enough to call out retaliatory behavior as well.

It is often key to getting your HR department to the table to negotiate a separation with severance.

So while it’s a hard thing to deal with, retaliation can be a gift.

It can often be the thing that if, well documented, pushes HR to negotiation table faster.

Do not be afraid to call discrimination what it is at work and do not be afraid to call retaliation what it is. Carefully document each incident and bring it to HR and call it by its rightful name.

If you don’t feel you can do this effectively on your own I am here to help.

If you believe you are being subjected to discrimination at work, Book a Discovery Call and Grab Access to my Online Course,