Harassment & Hostile Work Environment

Harassment that leads to the creation of a hostile work environment is illegal under state and federal laws.

Harassment is unwelcome conduct based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), or disability. Harassment becomes unlawful when 1) enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is so severe or pervasive that it creates a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.

Anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment against individuals in retaliation for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit under these laws; or opposing employment practices that they reasonably believe discriminate against individuals, in violation of these laws.

Petty slights, annoyances, and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not rise to the level of illegality. To be unlawful, the conduct must create a work environment that would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people.

Offensive conduct may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance. Harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including, but not limited to, the following:

The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, a supervisor in another area, an agent of the employer, a co-worker, a non-employee, or even a customer.
The victim does not have to be the person harassed, but can be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
Unlawful harassment may occur without economic injury to, or discharge of, the victim.

SGB’s attorneys have vast experience handling harassment and hostile work environment cases, and are deeply committed to holding employers accountable for creating and maintaining hostile work environments.

Contact SGB Harassment & Hostile Work Environment Lawyers – We’re ready to fight for your rights.

If you or someone you love has suffered from harassment at work, SGB is here to help. There is no charge for us to review your potential claim. Employment cases are either accepted on contingency or billed hourly. We discuss our fees upfront with our clients. Contact us today or fill out our intake questionnaire.

FAQs

What is discrimination?

In general, discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee less favorably because of their race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), or disability. The law forbids discrimination in every aspect of employment. For example, discrimination can take the form of unfair hiring decisions, undeserved discipline, unequal pay, or even termination. The law provides a limited time for pursing discrimination claims, so we advised you to speak with one of our skilled employment law attorneys as soon as possible if you believe you have been discriminated against at work.

What is not discrimination?

Not all unfair treatment is illegal. For example, your company can fire you because the boss doesn’t like you. The company’s conduct or decision is not illegal unless it is motivated by a person’s status as a member of a protected group (e.g., because the employee is female, or Hispanic, or gay, or a person with a disability) or in retaliation. We are experienced in making these distinctions and can advise you as to whether you have a claim.

What is harassment?

It is illegal to harass an employee because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to harass someone because they have complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. Harassment can take the form of slurs, graffiti, offensive or derogatory comments, or other verbal or physical conduct. Sexual harassment (including unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other conduct of a sexual nature) is also unlawful. Although the law does not prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal if it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or if it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted). If your working conditions have become so intolerable due to harassment or a hostile work environment, you may be able to resign and still preserve your claims for wrongful termination and “constructive discharge” against your employer. However, if you are considering quitting your job, we strongly advise that you speak to an experienced employment lawyer first.

What is retaliation?

Generally, the law forbids an employer from punishing job applicants or employees for asserting their rights to be free from employment discrimination in the workplace, including harassment. Under the law, asserting your rights is called "protected activity," and it can take many forms. For example, it is unlawful to retaliate against applicants or employees for: Reporting discrimination or harassment; Resisting sexual advances, or intervening to protect others; Filing or being a witness in a discrimination charge proceeding, complaint, investigation, or lawsuit. Engaging in protected activity, however, does not always shield an employee from all discipline. Our skilled employment law attorneys know the difference and can advise you about your rights.

How long do I have to file a claim?

There are strict time limits for filing charges of employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. To preserve the ability to pursue your claims, you should contact one of our skilled employment law attorneys as soon as unfair treatment is suspected. If you fail to act in time, you may be forever barred from bringing the claim before a judge or jury. SGB can represent you in this process and ensure that your claims are not waived.