Retaliation

Retaliation occurs when an adverse action is taken against an employee because he or she has engaged in a protected activity. Miami-Dade County will not tolerate illegal retaliation against any employee. Retaliation is a serious violation of County policy, as well as local, state, and federal anti-discrimination law.

Protected Activities include:

• Opposing discrimination
• Filing a discrimination complaint
• Testifying, assisting, or participating in an investigation, hearing, or other proceeding relating to discrimination
• Exercising constitutional or statutory rights
• An employee is protected even if he or she complains about discrimination against someone else.

What is an Adverse Action?

An adverse action is any action by the employer that discourages a reasonable employee from complaining about discrimination or filing an administrative charge of discrimination with an agency like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This action may or may not directly impact the employee’s working conditions or compensation.

Examples of adverse actions include, but are not limited to:

• Refusal to hire
• Denial of promotion
• Demotion
• Denial of pay increase
• Unwarranted discipline or reprimand
• Negative job evaluation or performance review

If you believe you have been subjected to retaliation as a result of your participation in a protected activity, such as filing a complaint with FEP or participating in an investigation, please contact us immediately.