Areas of Specialty
Hostile Work Environment
An employer may not have perpetuated a hostile work environment but the employer may still be responsible for
other employees who did so, if the employer knew (or should have known) about the harassment and failed to rectify it.
A preliminary discussion with an experienced employment lawyer is an important first step in confronting an
unacceptably hostile work environment. Contact our office to schedule a consultation if you have experienced
subtle or overt harassment on the basis of race, sex or religion.
The Federal Communications Commission defines hostile workplace environment as follows:
Unwelcome verbal or physical conduct based on race, color, religion, sex (whether or not
of a sexual nature and including same-gender harassment and gender identity harassment),
national origin, age (40 and over), disability (mental or physical), sexual orientation,
or retaliation.
An employer is responsible for providing a respectful work environment for all employees. Workers ought not to be
expected to put up with actions that inhibit their ability to do their jobs such as the following:
- Leering
- Gesturing
- Unwanted touching
- Telling lurid jokes
- Sending emails of a sexual nature
- Displaying pornography in common work spaces
- Using racially derogatory language
- Disparaging remarks about employees’ skin color or other racial or ethnic characteristics
- Negative comments about employees’ age, national origin or disability