Title VII retaliation claims

Section 704(a) protects employees who engage in activity aimed at remedying employment practices they believe to be unlawful. Such activity may take the form of participation in governmental investigations or proceedings, or expressing opposition to an employer's practices through internal complaints to management, circulating petitions among employees, directly challenging an employer's affirmative action plan, etc. As the Ninth Circuit's recent Crown Zellerbach decision demonstrates, employers must proceed with caution before taking disciplinary action against an employee who engages in arguably protected 704(a) activity. The following article discusses employee activity protected by section 704(a) and examines various employer defenses and concerns in a retaliation case.