Garland's Digest

on employment discrimination law

Chapter 20 - Retaliation Claims

Overview

20.100 In general

20.200 Proving retaliation claims by circuit

20.300 Protected activity

20.400 Adverse employment action

20.500 Causal link

20.600 Proffered reason and pretext

20.700 Claims of others

20.800 [Reserved]

20.900 Miscellaneous issues


 

Detail

20.100 In general

             20.110 Anti-retaliation statutes

                          20.111 ADEA

                          20.112 ADA

                          20.113 Equal Pay Act

                          20.114 42 U.S.C. § 1981

                          20.115 42 U.S.C. § 1983

                          20.116 FMLA

                          20.117 Rehabilitation Act

                          20.118 Title VII

             20.120 Scope of anti-retaliation statutes

                          20.121 ADEA

                                       20.121.10 Analysis same as Title VII

                          20.122 ADA

                                       20.122.10 Analysis same as Title VII

                                       20.122.20 No right to compensatory or punitive
                                                           damages

                                       20.122.30 No right to a jury trial

                          20.123 Equal Pay Act

                          20.124 42 U.S.C. § 1981

                          20.125 42 U.S.C. § 1983

                          20.126 FMLA

                          20.127 Rehabilitation Act

                          20.128 Title VII

                                       20.128.10 In general

                                                          20.128.11 Scope of opposition clause vs.
                                                                              participation clause

                                       20.128.20 Opposition clause

                                       20.128.30 Participation clause

                                                          20.128.31 Whether testimony must be
                                                                              reasonable

                                       20.128.40 Post-employment retaliation

             20.130 Cases addressing scope of anti-retaliation statutes

                          20.131 Retaliation against employee who employer
                                        mistakenly thinks engaged in protected activity

                          20.132 Retaliation based on fact that co-worker, who is
                                        friend or family member, engaged in protected
                                        activity

                          20.133 Employee who involuntarily testified about his own
                                        discriminatory conduct

                          20.134 Employee willing to testify on behalf of another, but is
                                        never called

                          20.135 Employee who participates in EEO investigation by
                                        opposing the complainant             

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20.200 Proving retaliation claims by circuit

             20.210 Direct method (for all circuits except 7th)

             20.220 Indirect method (for all circuits except 7th)

                          20.221 General principles

                                       20.221.10 Prima facie case

                                                          20.221.11 Must plaintiff show that he is
                                                                             qualified for the position?

                                                          20.221.12 Burden of establishing prima
                                                                             facie case is not onerous

                                                          20.221.13 If "supervisory harassment" is
                                                                             involved, then the Sixth Circuit
                                                                             alters the prima facie case

                                                          20.221.14 Failure to hire case has
                                                                              additional requirements

                          20.222 ADEA

                          20.223 ADA

                                       20.223.10 Retaliation claim

                                       20.223.20 Interference claim

                                       20.223.30 Whether plaintiff must be a "qualified
                                                           individual with a disability"

                          20.224 Equal Pay Act

                          20.225 42 U.S.C. § 1981

                          20.226 42 U.S.C. § 1983

                          20.227 FMLA

                          20.228 Rehabilitation Act

                          20.229 Title VII

             20.230 7th Circuit's methods

                          20.231 Direct method

                                       20.231.10 Survival of summary judgment

                                       20.231.20 Circumstantial evidence can be used under
                                                           the direct method

             20.232 Indirect method

                                       20.232.10 Similarly situated employee

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20.300 Protected activity

             20.310 Definition

                          20.311 Employee must identify illegal employment practice

             20.320 Reasonable belief requirement

                          20.321 Does reasonable belief requirement apply to
                                        participation clause and opposition clause claims?

                          20.322 Complaint involving same sex harassment that is
                                        found to be based on sexual orientation

             20.330 Engagement in protected activity does not automatically
                           shield employee from adverse employment action

                          20.331 Whether improper or disruptive conduct constitutes
                                        protected activity

                          20.332 Job performance problems that pre-date protected
                                        activity           

             20.340 Whether particular conduct constitutes protected activity

                          20.341 Informal complaint or conduct

                                       20.341.10 Informal complaint to supervisor

                                       20.341.20 Informal complaint by attorney

                                       20.341.30 Informal contact with EEO or EEOC

                                       20.341.40 Requesting an accommodation under the
                                                           ADA

                          20.342 Formal complaint

                                       20.342.10 Filing EEOC complaint

                                       20.342.20 EEOC's issuance of right-to-sue letter

                                       20.342.30 Complaint to employer that third persons,
                                                           who are not employees, are being
                                                           harassed

                                       20.342.40 EEOC complaint must allege discrimination

                          20.343 Participation in employer's internal investigation

                          20.344 Refusal to implement discriminatory policy

                          20.345 Testifying

                          20.346 Illegal activity in furtherance of preventing workplace
                                        discrimination

                           20.347 Refusal to sign mandatory arbitration agreement

                           20.348 Another employee claims that this employee is being
                                         harassed

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20.400 Adverse employment action

             20.410 Definition

                          20.411 Adverse employment action is more broadly defined
                                        in retaliation cases

                          20.412 Not everything that makes an employee unhappy is
                                        an adverse employment action

                          20.413 Determination is based on an objective standard

                          20.414 Context of the action matters in making
                                        determination as to whether it is materially adverse

                          20.415 Adverse action does not have to be work related

                          20.416 Definition in failure-to-hire cases

             20.420 Cases applying definition

                          20.421 Compensation

                                       20.421.10 Denial of pay raise

                                       20.421.20 Denial of bonus

                                       20.421.30 Minimal loss of pay

                                       20.421.40 Failure to reimburse expenses

                                       20.421.50 Leave time

                                       20.421.60 Failure to offer severance package

                          20.422 Work duties

                                       20.422.10 Denial of transfer

                                                          20.422.11 Delay in transfer

                                       20.422.20 Demotion / lateral transfer or
                                                           reassignment                                              

                                                          20.422.21 Transfer to new location

                                                          20.422.22 Transfer to administrative duty

                                                          20.422.23 Constructive demotion

                                       20.422.30 Denial of tenure

                                       20.422.40 Last chance agreements

                          20.423 Work opportunities

                                       20.423.10 Denial of training

                                       20.423.20 Denial of opportunity to temporarily "be in
                                                           charge"

                          20.424 Work environment

                                       20.424.10 Supervisor or co-worker ostracism or
                                                           harassment                                                  

                                                           20.424.11 Analysis of supervisor
                                                                               harassment claims       

                                                           20.424.12 Analysis of co-worker
                                                                               harassment claims                        

                                       20.424.20 Unfulfilled threats

                          20.425 Discipline and evaluations

                                        20.425.10 Negative evaluations

                                        20.425.20 Investigation of employee

                                        20.425.30 Oral reprimand, counseling, or warning

                                        20.425.40 Written reprimand, counseling or warning

                                        20.425.50 Performance improvement plan

                                        20.425.60 Suspension or administrative leave with
                                                            pay

                                        20.425.70 Suspension or administrative leave
                                                            without pay
                                          

                                                           20.425.71 Suspension without pay, but
                                                                               reinstatement with back pay 

                          20.426 Termination

                          20.427 Post-employment

                                        20.427.10 Negative job reference

                          20.428 Miscellaneous

                                       20.428.10 Medical evaluations

                                       20.428.20 Counterclaim against employee

                                       20.428.30 Employer making truthful police report

                          20.429 De minimis actions

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20.500 Causal link

             20.510 Definition

                          20.511 Knowledge of protected activity

             20.520 Cases applying definition

             20.530 Level of proof necessary to establish causal link

                          20.531 Temporal proximity

                                       20.531.10 Is temporal proximity, alone, sufficient

                                       20.531.20 Close temporal proximity less probative
                                                           where employer was contemplating
                                                           adverse action before employee engaged
                                                           in protected activity

                                                          20.531.21 Close temporal proximity less
                                                                              probative where employer was
                                                                              merely waiting until employee
                                                                              on leave returned to work before
                                                                              taking action

                                       20.531.30 Close temporal proximity less probative
                                                           where employer is simply denying a
                                                           request made after employee engaged in
                                                           protected activity

                                       20.531.40 Lack of temporal proximity

                                       20.531.50 First opportunity to retaliate affects
                                                           temporal proximity analysis

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20.600 Proffered reason and pretext

             20.610 Proffered reason

             20.620 Pretext

                          20.621 Standard for proving retaliation

                          20.622 Lack of temporal proximity as means of disproving
                                        retaliation

             20.630 Alternative means of establishing pretext

                          20.631 Inconsistent policies

                          20.632 Similarly situated persons

                          20.633 Temporal proximity

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20.700 Claims of others

             20.710 Participation clause claims

             20.720 Opposition clause claims

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20.800 [Reserved]

 

20.900 Miscellaneous issues

                          20.901 Retaliation by union

                          20.902 Retaliation based on protected activity at another
                                        employer

                          20.903 Employer liable for retaliation of supervisor

                          20.904 Post-employment retaliation based on refusal to
                                        provide information to prospective employer

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