Consequently, filing a formal complaint with the EEOC is a protected activity. Equally, by law, the employer can't retaliate or punish employee. However, quite often after the employer is notified of the charges; the claimant may experience increased harassment and retaliation. In addition, there is a clear cause and effect, or "causal connection" and an element of timing "temporal proximity". However, the time associated temporal proximity can be as little as a week or two weeks; even months. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for the employer to "paper" the employee's personnel file in an attempt to make them appear as "troubled" or "non-productive". For instance, the employee usually receives stellar evaluation; suddenly it is substandard.
