A senior analyst files a complaint about a hostile work environment. After this, their pay is reduced. What does this situation exemplify?

This scenario exemplifies retaliation, which occurs when an employer takes adverse action against an employee for engaging in protected activity, such as filing a complaint about a hostile work environment. By reducing the senior analyst's pay following the complaint, the employer is responding negatively to the employee's attempt to address perceived wrongdoing in the workplace.

Retaliation is considered unlawful under various employment laws, as it discourages employees from asserting their rights or reporting misconduct. In this case, the pay reduction serves as a punitive response to the complaint, signaling to the employee and potentially others that voicing concerns may lead to negative consequences, thus undermining the protections against a hostile work environment.

Discrimination typically refers to unfair treatment based on protected characteristics such as race, gender, or age, which does not directly apply to the situation described. Harassment involves unwanted behavior that creates a hostile environment but doesn't encompass the repercussions faced after a complaint is lodged. While a hostile environment is central to the complaint, the act of reducing pay in response to it more accurately fits the definition of retaliation.