One of the most difficult situations that someone can encounter at work is being subjected to a hostile work environment. It can be a humiliating and intimidating experience, but what can you do? The answer begins with contacting the right employment attorney.
A common misconception is that a hostile work environment only occurs when the harassment involves sex. Sexual harassment is only one of the ways that a hostile work environment can occur.
A hostile work environment is when a workplace is full of discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, and insult, and these actions are severe or pervasive enough to alter the working conditions of the victim’s employment. Harassment is illegal when it is based on someone’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information and, depending upon the location of the employer, sexual orientation. At the same time, the law is not a general civility code. Simple teasing, offhand comments, and isolated incidents do not constitute a hostile work environment.
The courts consider four factors when determining whether a work environment is hostile:
- The frequency of the conduct
- The severity of the conduct
- Whether the conduct is physically threatening or humiliating, or a mere offensive utterance
- Whether the conduct unreasonably interferes with the employee’s job performance
A hostile work environment is a serious matter and action should be taken to protect your rights. If you believe you are being subjected to a hostile work environment, you should contact experienced employment attorneys who can help.
Employers will be able to defend themselves, and employees rarely know how to establish their cases. Our experienced attorneys can help you determine whether your rights are being violated. More importantly, our team can help get you your peace of mind back.
If you would like to know more about your rights in your particular circumstance and to explore your options, please contact us at 407-803-5400 or [email protected], for an analysis of your situation and to schedule a consultation.