What is an Adverse Employment Action, Anyway?
Employment discrimination lawsuits are almost invariably triggered by an “adverse action.” The standard burden-shifting framework for a plaintiff to prove her prima facie Title VII discrimination case reads: A plaintiff must present sufficient evidence that she was: 1) a member of a protected class; 2) qualified for the position; 3) suffered an adverse employment action; and 4) under circumstances giving rise to an inference of discrimination. See Jones v. School District of Philadelphia, 198 F.3d 403 at 410-411 (3d Cir., 1999); Boykins v. Lucent Tech., Inc., 78 F.Supp.2d 402, 409 (E.D.Pa.2000) ; see also In re Carnegie Ctr. Assocs., 129 F.3d at 294-295 (citations omitted). Most often, an adverse employment action in the employment discrimination context is a termination. However, there are other types of adverse employment actions, which can help a plaintiff satisfy her prima facie burden. For e...