This week, Donald Trump’s been at it again – making noise about tariffs, punishing trade partners, and setting the stage for another round of retaliatory economic mud-slinging.
Whether it’s soybeans, steel or soundbites, it’s the classic Trumpian playbook: punish first, negotiate later (maybe).
Now, I don’t usually kick off an HR blog with a global trade policy reference, but bear with me – because this particular bit of international sabre-rattling is a near-perfect metaphor for what we see inside organisations every day.
I’m talking about retaliation.
Not the dramatic kind with strong statements and even stronger headlines, but the quiet, corrosive, everyday stuff: the emails not sent, the meetings not invited to, the smiles that don’t reach the eyes.
When someone feels put upon, punished, or just plain picked on – and decides to push back.
Why Retaliation Happens (And Why It Feels So Satisfying)
Let’s get into the psychology of it. Human beings are wired for reciprocity.
You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
You throw shade my way? I’ll quietly adjust your access to the shared project folder.
It’s not always conscious. But it’s absolutely human.
In evolutionary terms, this kept us alive – knowing who to trust, who to avoid, who might steal our berries.
In a modern office, it’s more likely to show up as micromanagement met with passive resistance, or perceived favouritism answered by disengagement.
Retaliation often stems from a sense of injustice – whether real or imagined.
And when we feel we’ve been treated unfairly, the desire to “even the score” can feel not just tempting, but righteous.
The problem? It rarely ends with one move.
From Washington to the Watercooler: Workplace Trade Wars
Just like with tariffs, retaliatory behaviour in the workplace tends to spiral. One person clamps down, another pushes back. It escalates. Silence grows. Collaboration suffers. And everyone starts avoiding each other at the printer.
Some examples you might recognise:
- A manager publicly calls out an error. The employee starts sticking rigidly to the job spec, offering no extras.
- A colleague is left out of a key meeting (whether by accident or design). Suddenly, their helpfulness vanishes into thin air.
- HR rolls out a new policy without consultation. Engagement drops, and so does enthusiasm for that upcoming all-hands.
These aren’t always dramatic acts of protest – often they’re small shifts in behaviour.
But added up, they’re the workplace equivalent of a trade war.
And, like trade wars, they’re usually lose-lose.
The Real Cost of Getting Even
Retaliation can feel good in the moment.
There’s a tiny dopamine hit in the passive-aggressive reply or the choice not to share that useful bit of intel.
But it doesn’t fix anything.
Worse, it creates a toxic feedback loop. One person’s reaction becomes another person’s justification. The team starts operating in defensive mode.
Trust – that ever-fragile foundation of high-performing teams – quietly disappears out the back door.
And the kicker? Often, the original “offence” was unintentional. Misread. Poorly timed. Or a well-meaning but badly executed bit of feedback.
By the time HR is called in, we’re dealing with entrenched camps rather than a misunderstanding that could’ve been sorted with a 10-minute honest chat and a coffee.
So, What Can We Do About It?
Here’s the good news – HR doesn’t need to be the Geneva Convention of the office.
But we do have a role in spotting the early signs of retaliatory behaviour and helping people move from reaction to response.
A few things that work:
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Intervene early. If you can feel tension rising, don’t wait for a formal complaint. Step in, gently but directly.
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Create psychological safety. People need to feel safe enough to say “that didn’t sit well with me” without fear of punishment.
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Train for intention-seeking. Help managers and teams get curious, not furious. “Why did they do that?” is a better starting point than “How dare they?”
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Don’t hide behind policy. Yes, policies matter. But how you roll them out, explain them, and take feedback on them matters more.
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Lead by example. If your leadership team operates with empathy and maturity, it cascades. If they sulk and settle scores? That sets the tone too.
Conclusion: Let’s Not Be Trump
It’s tempting, isn’t it? To lob a little comeback when you feel slighted.
But whether it’s Trump taxing foreign cars or your colleague ghosting you over Slack, retaliation doesn’t fix the original problem. It just digs the hole deeper.
We don’t need more tit-for-tat in the workplace.
We need grown-up conversations, curiosity over judgement, and just a little bit more grace.
Trade wars are bad enough on the world stage. Let’s not start them in the office kitchen too.
If you need a hand chatting through any employee issues you may have, drop us a line via hello@thehrhub.co.uk or give us a call on 0203 951 1208.
