Employment Discrimination Blog

Retaliation after reporting workplace harassment is one of the most frequent and serious employment law violations in Georgia. When an employer punishes you for speaking up—whether through termination, demotion, or other adverse actions—it violates both your rights and state and federal law.

This post explains how retaliation happens, the legal protections in place for Georgia workers, and the steps you can take to assert your rights if you’ve faced retaliation after reporting harassment in Atlanta or elsewhere in the state.

What is Employment Retaliation?

Retaliation happens when an employer punishes an employee for engaging in a protected activity, such as reporting harassment, filing a complaint, or participating in a workplace investigation.

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Georgia Fair Employment Practices Act, it’s unlawful for an employer to retaliate against an employee who has raised a good-faith concern about discrimination or harassment.

Retaliation can take many forms, including:

• Termination or sudden demotion

• Reduced hours or undesirable shift changes

• Pay cuts or loss of benefits

• Exclusion from meetings, training, or advancement opportunities

• Harassment, intimidation, or verbal abuse

• Unfounded disciplinary actions or negative performance reviews

Even subtle actions such as being ostracized or reassigned to meaningless work may qualify as retaliation if they would discourage a reasonable person from reporting misconduct in the future.

How to Identify Retaliation in Georgia Workplaces

In Atlanta and throughout Georgia, retaliation claims often arise in the following situations:

• Reporting sexual harassment–An employee reports a supervisor’s inappropriate behavior and is later fired for “performance issues.”

• Supporting a co-worker–An employee testifies on behalf of a colleague in an internal harassment investigation and soon finds their schedule cut.

• Filing a formal complaint–An employee contacts the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and management begins documenting minor mistakes to justify termination.

If any of these sound familiar, you may have a valid retaliation claim.

Legal Protections for Employees in Georgia

Both federal and state laws shield employees from retaliation. Here’s what you should know:

• Title VII (Federal Law)–Protects employees who oppose workplace discrimination or participate in an investigation.

• The Georgia Fair Employment Practices Act (GFEPA)–Covers certain public employees and prohibits retaliation related to complaints of discrimination or harassment.

• Whistleblower Protection Act (Georgia)–Provides additional protection for public employees who report violations of law, rule, or regulation.

Private-sector employees in Georgia typically rely on federal protections, which the EEOC enforces. You generally have 180 days from the date of the retaliatory act to file a charge with the EEOC.

What to Do If You Suspect Retaliation

If you believe your employer has retaliated against you, take these steps to protect yourself:

1. Document everything. Keep records of all communications, incidents, and employment actions following your complaint.

2. Preserve evidence. Save emails, text messages, performance reviews, or other documents showing changes in your treatment at work.

3. Follow internal procedures.  Doing so demonstrates that you attempted to resolve the issue internally.

4. Contact an employment attorney. Retaliation cases often require careful legal analysis to connect your complaint to the employer’s adverse actions.

An attorney experienced in Georgia employment law can evaluate your situation, gather evidence, and guide you through the EEOC or state complaint process.

Atlanta, GA Employment Retaliation Attorneys

At Pankey & Horlock, LLC, we understand how devastating it can be to lose your job, reputation, or peace of mind for speaking out against harassment. Our attorneys have decades of experience representing employees across Atlanta and throughout Georgia who have faced retaliation after reporting discrimination or misconduct.