You’re Not a Team Player (from Preventing Retaliation in the Workplace™)

Managers should not ask subordinates for personal favors or make improper social invitations. These things may make employees uncomfortable and draw a complaint. Even personal favors or social invitations that seem to be unrelated to the workplace can cause problems simply because of the manager-employee relationship. One of the best ways to prevent retaliation claims is to avoid initial claims of illegal, unsafe or unethical behavior in the first place. Remember, engaging in a protected activity is the first element in a retaliation claim. Without that, the retaliation claim will fail.