If an employee believes they are being targeted, but do not know if it is a case of retaliation, federal case law and regulatory agency guidance provides three essential elements in a retaliation claim to consider: 1. Protected Activity – It is important to understand that an employee is free to engage in legally protected activities such as filing or participating in a complaint to expose unlawful practices in the workplace. Anti-retaliation provisions make it illegal for an employer, and by extension an employee such as a supervisor, to take adverse actions against employees that blow the whistle on illegal practices.  2. Adverse Action – When an employee reports or a fellow employee supports a claim of discrimination in the workplace, they may be subject to an adverse employment action. This may include the denial of promotion, demotion, denial of benefits, suspension or even termination, all possible instances of retaliation in the workplace.  Adverse actions may also include, harassing, threatening, or unfairly reprimanding an employee, negative evaluations, or other maltreatment. Any one, or a combination of these harmful actions, may constitute retaliation, which is prohibited by law. 3. Proof of Causality – If an employee is subject to adverse action after engaging in a protected activity (reporting unlawful activity), they must provide direct or circumstantial evidence of causation when seeking a remedy. Remedies may include reinstatement to a job if terminated, compensation for lost wages, punitive damages against an employer, and more, depending on the circumstances of the case.