Phase 3 of 3 · Hard Conversations
Adverse action
A firing, demotion, pay cut, shift change or write up that would discourage a reasonable employee from speaking up in the first place.
Ask whether it would silence a reasonable person. Money is beside the point.
In plain English
An adverse action is any employer move that would discourage a reasonable worker from raising a complaint: firing, demotion, lost hours, a write up, a worse schedule.
- What it looks like in business
- After a harassment report, a manager moves that employee to the shift nobody wants. Nothing was cut, and the move still counts.
- Why it matters
- The bar sits lower than most owners expect, so changes meant to cool a situation down often read as punishment for the report.
Reading it once is not the same as knowing it. Put this term in the daily rotation and let the quiz come back for it.
Study this termWhere this comes from
Burlington Northern v. White, 548 U.S. 53 (2006)
This is HR guidance, not legal advice, and rules change. Check the current text and your own facts before you act on it. When a situation needs a lawyer, Jennifer will say so.
Where it sits
Phase 3: Hard Conversations
A fair process for performance, complaints, accommodations, and exits so the owner is not both the boss and the only adult in the room.