What is victimisation?

Victimisation is a term used in discrimination law to describe action by an employer, against an employee, in retaliation for initiating complaint proceedings.

Examples include refusal to promote an employee because he or she had invoked a grievance procedure, or for giving evidence against the employer at a tribunal.

It has even been held that victimisation can take place after employment has finished, for example, when an employer refuses to give a former employee, who had begun tribunal proceedings, a reference.

Complaints about victimisation should be made to an employment tribunal within the specified time limit.