Retaliation claims continue to be on the rise. In 2014, the EEOC investigated the highest number of retaliation claims in its entire history. In fact, 42.8% of all charges filed were retaliation claims.

The SEC saw a similar increase and reported that both the number of whistleblower claims and the magnitude of the financial awards stemming from those claims "were record-breaking" in FY 2014. Without even accounting for state law and common law retaliation claims, the risk is high for businesses today, and the financial implications can be colossal.

Human Resources Departments need to be aware of how broadly – or narrowly - retaliation is defined and what internal steps can be taken to reduce the risk of claims.

Learning Objectives

This training session will help you develop a process to minimize the broad risks of retaliation claims. Specifically, you will learn:

• The legal definition of retaliation
  
• The necessary elements to establish a retaliation claim
  
• Trends in retaliation lawsuits, including the most common and high-risk retaliation claims
  
• How to identify when an employee is engaged in a “protected activity” and how to respond appropriately
  
• Ten employee handbook policies that will help your company avoid retaliation claims
  
• Step-by-step guide to investigating protected activity that could be the basis for a retaliation claim
  
• What to do if your organization receives a retaliation claim