Contrary to the popular belief, the definition of a hostile work environment goes well beyond the “my boss and co-workers hate me.” In reality, it is much more complicated than you thought.
Statistics show that nearly one in five workers in California and all across the U.S. have faced a hostile environment at work. And it is fair to say that about the same number of employees across our country have faced a hostile work environment but were not aware of it.
That is because many people do not realize what makes a work environment “hostile,” and therefore, what makes you eligible to pursue compensation for your emotional distress and mental anguish that comes along with a hostile environment at work.
We invited our Riverside hostile work environment attorney from Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers to outline some of the most common signs of a hostile environment in the workplace.
9 signs of a hostile work environment
- One of the most common reasons why workers in Riverside and all across California cite “a hostile work environment” in their claim is sexual harassment. If you or your coworkers have experienced unsolicited verbal or physical sexual advances, including but not limited to inappropriate touching, vulgar compliments or offensive comments, unwelcome requests to go on a date, name-calling, and others, you may be entitled to compensation.
- Your employer or supervisor has discriminated against you or other employees on the basis of gender, race, skin color, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, or any other protected characteristic under California employment law. Find out what constitutes workplace discrimination in California.
- Your employer, supervisor, or coworkers demonstrate verbal or non-verbal anger or aggression toward you, which creates a hostile work environment and make it difficult for you to perform your job. These behaviors include but are not limited to shouting or yelling at you, grimacing in conversations with you, raising their voice, slamming your door, throwing items onto your desk in an aggressive manner, etc.
- Your employer, supervisor, or coworkers repeatedly use offensive or vulgar jokes or slurs in conversations with you.
- Your ideas, opinion, sense of style, sense of humor, work performance, or anything else related to you are being ridiculed and shamed in front of others, making you feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.
- Your employer threatens you with unjustified punishment, adverse employment actions such as termination, demotion, reduction of pay, physical or emotional abuse.
- Your employer, supervisor, or coworkers employ unfair tactics to force you out of your job, set you up, put the blame for something onto you, prevent you from growth and advancement in the company, etc.
- Your employer or supervisor encourages or pressures employees to engage in unhealthy, immoral or illegal competition, resulting in conflicts or violence in the workplace and/or low self-esteem, high levels of stress, etc.
- Your coworkers seem miserable and depressed all the time, and this toxicity in the workplace creates a hostile work environment that makes you miserable and depressed, too, resulting in lower productiveness and worse performance.
If you have noticed any of the above-mentioned signs of a hostile work environment in your workplace, seek immediate legal advice. Speak to our Riverside hostile work environment attorney at Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers to get a free consultation. Call at 310-527-6994 or fill out this contact form.