Unfortunately, in today’s job culture, it’s not a rare occurrence to find oneself in an unhealthy work environment. Despite the increasing prioritization of mental health, there are still many companies who have yet to understand the positive impact a safe-feeling workplace can have for employees. A toxic office culture can quickly tip into an unlawful work environment. And what happens then? What if an incident occurs that feels incredibly hostile, but you aren’t sure whether it technically constitutes legal action? Here we explain further:
Is the Misconduct Related to Race, Sex, Religion, Etc.?
If you are being treated poorly at work, it could be related to your race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, or other similar qualities. The abusive conduct has to be related to protected characteristics such as these, in order for it to be unlawful. However, if you have endured incidents of extreme bullying or violence in the workplace, it may still warrant contacting a lawyer to figure out how you can protect yourself and get the mistreatment to stop.
What are the Factors of the Mistreatment?
A person deserves to go into work without being worried about harsh treatment. Every employee should be able to go about their tasks without constant anxiety about what unlawful incident may occur next. When talking with a lawyer about a hostile work environment, the more details you have, the better they can assist you. To figure out whether your workplace situation is abuse or hostile, your lawyer may inquire about these factors:
- The frequency of the conduct
- The severity of the conduct
- If the conduct interferes with work performance
- If the conduct is threatening physically, offensive, or humiliating
If you are dealing with a hostile work environment, contact a lawyer immediately, such as an employment litigation lawyer from Eric Siegel Law.
Comments are closed.