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Hostile work environments are known to create numerous challenges in the workplace that ultimately prevent employees from doing their jobs. Over time, this has proven to be a real issue for companies because hostility impacts employee satisfaction, engagement, and productivity.
Hostile work environments are the areas in which words or actions of a supervisor, manager, or even coworker negatively impact another employee’s ability to positively function in the workplace. Anyone in the workplace can be responsible for creating a hostile work environment, the burden does not solely fall on upper management.
Workplace hostility is fairly common across America, especially in larger corporations where stress prevails, deadlines get imposed and numerous personalities don’t mesh well. Unfortunately, not all hostile actions are illegal.
However, when hostility turns into aggression, discrimination, or retaliation, our Riverside hostile work environment attorney will take swift action in holding perpetrators accountable while collecting compensation for victims.
Any employee with unlikable bad habits or that constantly bothers another coworker isn’t quite enough to create a hostile work environment. We distinguish what qualifies as in fact a hostile work environment below.
True hostile work environments meet certain criteria according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The U.S. EEOC states that most isolated incidents, petty ‘slights’, and common annoyances do not constitute actionable hostility. By definition, a hostile work environment is created when harassment reaches a level any normal person would deem offensive, intimidating, or unfriendly.
This includes unwelcome conduct, harassment based on race, gender, pregnancy, religion, origin, age, disability, and genetics. Harassment is continued and long-lasting and conducts severe enough that the environment becomes intimidating, offensive, or abusive.
For our Riverside hostile work environment attorney to take action, hostility must breach the Americans with Disabilities Act, The ADEA (Aged Discrimination in Employment Act), or Civil Rights Act. Blurred lines may exist between that which is allowable, and that which violates protected classes.
Hostile work environments may arise when:
Due to the previously mentioned behaviors, those victims and their work performance have been known to suffer drastically. In order for an employee to establish a hostile work environment, the victim must be able to show how the words or actions of another coworker or supervisor negatively affect their ability to perform the job. Usually, we see severe, pervasive, and unwelcome behavior or words and action that if not corrected, prevent the employee from functioning in their role.
To determine if your claim can be successfully litigated, The Rager Law Firm should review facts surrounding your situation.
Some situations may be isolated, one-time outbursts which a simple conversation with the offender can resolve. However, ongoing verbal or emotional abuse by supervisors or coworkers can terrify people focused on earning money for their families.
Take these steps if workplace hostility has started to spiral out of control:
Employees shouldn’t have to beg for peace within their work environment. Although lighthearted joking shouldn’t be taken seriously, discriminatory remarks or those which make someone feel belittled or threaten their livelihood are definitely actionable offenses that we’re able to successfully litigate so long as every fact surrounding the incident passes a ‘reasonable doubt’ test.
One of the biggest parts of creating a safe working environment is by preventing harassment from happening initially. We recommend the tips below for creating a positive work environment to avoid harassment and hostility.
Every employee, regardless of sex, should feel comfortable clocking into their respective positions without fear of threats, discrimination, or unneeded adverse actions.
When you’ve had enough and want an experienced Riverside hostile work environment attorney to help vindicate you, contact The Rager Law Firm. We’ve handled many similar cases where excessive hostility led to compensation victims. Our offices are located in El Segundo (310-527-6994) and Los Angeles (310-740-9890), California.