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Retaliation

Federal and/or state law and Appalachian policy prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose and/or complain of harassment or other forms of impermissible discrimination, or who participates in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing related to a complaint.

Retaliation may be inadvertent or intentional, and it can be obvious or subtle; regardless, it is unacceptable at Appalachian and, in many cases, is against the law.

Definitions of Retaliation:

The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines retaliation as, "Adverse actions(s) taken because of opposition to unlawful workplace harassment. Retaliatory acts can be aimed at the complainant/grievant or any employee involved in the complaint in any way."

The most obvious types of retaliation are denial of promotion, refusal to hire, denial of job or educational benefits, demotion, suspension, and discharge. Other types of adverse actions include threats, reprimands, negative evaluations or grades, harassment, or other adverse treatment.

Examples of retaliation are:

  • An employee goes over his or her direct supervisor's "head" with an issue.  When the employee's supervisor finds out, the supervisor starts treating the employee differently, gives him or her a poor review, and he or she eventually gets demoted. 
  • A female employee alleges that her supervisor (whom everyone likes) sexually harassed her at work.  All her co-workers stop interacting with her, they ridicule her every move, and the tires on her car get slashed.

ASU Policies and Procedures Related to Retaliation

Retaliation Related Sites

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