Retaliation is a legal conclusion, not a label for every setback. Build a six-part review trail: protected report; recipient notice; alleged adverse change; timing; comparison records; documented harm. Preserve complaints, acknowledgments, referral data, accommodation requests, records responses, and later decisions. Federal False Claims Act protection covers specified employment-related retaliation for lawful efforts to stop violations. The ADA separately prohibits retaliation for protected opposition or participation. Connecticut protection depends on the reporter, relationship, disclosure, recipient, and facts. A complaint date beside a referral drop may justify review, but timing alone does not prove causation or intent. Test alternatives and identify missing data. Keep allegation, receipt, investigation, adjudication, and finding separate. Read the checklist at david-medeiros.com/retaliation-timeline.