California employers should know that retaliation charges can pose a serious risk their business. It is not only illegal, but it can cause significant harm.
EMPLOYER RETALIATION STILL ON THE RISE
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reports that cases of retaliation are still increasing at a significant rate over the years. In 2020, retaliation claims made up 55.8% of all the charges filed with the EEOC – more than half of all the claims.
The reasons behind this increase vary widely. However, one reason for the high numbers is likely that employees are more willing to speak out about discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Many social and workplace movements have contributed to this, but it is up to employers to stop retaliation.
ACTIVE STEPS ARE NECESSARY TO STOP RETALIATION
When dealing with employee complaints, employers should play an active roles in preventing retaliation. We have discussed the importance of this in previous blog posts. Unfortunately, creating and implementing an anti-retaliation policy is not enough to stop it from occurring. Employers must make sure both employees and leadership understand the business’ policy towards retaliation, and in addition should:
- Regularly review the reporting process and make sure it is employee-friendly
- Include practices against retaliation in leadership training efforts
- Carefully evaluate employment decisions for any risk factors of retaliation
