Forms of harassment at work include inappropriate comments, offensive jokes and personal humiliation. It also includes excluding someone from social and professional events or spreading negative gossip.
Psychological harassment is more difficult to recognize since it is a non-physical form of violence. It involves tactics like withholding information and can have a negative impact on an employee’s self-esteem and undermine their ability to perform. Here are some Forms of Harassment at Work.
Age Harassment
Age harassment is when you are subjected to verbal or physical conduct that is so frequent or severe that it creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. It can also interfere with your job performance. Age harassment can be based on your actual age, your perceived age or the age of someone you associate with.
Indirect age discrimination is when an employer applies a policy, criterion or practice that is not specifically directed at you but which unfairly disadvantages people your age. For example, an employer could ask for ten years’ experience as part of the qualifications for a job which would only disadvantage older applicants.
If you think you are being treated differently because of your age, document all incidents as thoroughly as possible. Then, talk to a Tampa employment lawyer immediately to discuss what you have witnessed and your options.
Gender Harassment
Although most people assume that harassment must be sexual in nature to be illegal, offensive conduct based on gender and severe enough to create an abusive work environment is also unlawful. Gender-based harassment can include offensive comments, unwelcome sexually suggestive text messages or emails, offensive gestures, displaying pornographic materials and other inappropriate physical contact.
Harassment can also occur when a boss or supervisor offers employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors. Quid pro quo harassment is a serious issue that may lead to emotional distress, workplace stress and even mental health issues for victims. It is important to keep records of any negative treatment and if you feel comfortable, confront the harasser immediately and ask that it stop. If your boss retaliates against you, which includes demoting or firing you, that is illegal and grounds for filing a complaint.
Disability Harassment
Whether someone is making snide comments about your wheelchair taking up too much space, or refusing to allow you to work from home due to your chronic illness, they may be engaging in disability harassment. Under the ADA, it is illegal to harass people based on their actual or perceived disability. It also is illegal to harass an individual based on their association with someone who has a disability.
Harassment based on disability can be done by a coworker, supervisor, or non-employee, such as a client or customer. It can create a poisoned workplace environment for employees with disabilities and result in adverse employment decisions.
Educational institutions have a responsibility to prevent disability harassment and to respond effectively when they learn that it has occurred. They must widely publicize clear policies that prohibit disability harassment and provide grievance procedures for handling such incidents.
Religion Harassment
While many religious people express their beliefs at work, doing so in a way that harasses others is illegal. This includes religious jokes or slurs, preaching to coworkers and trying to convert them (known as proselytizing). Once an employer has been put on notice that an employee objects to this conduct, it must take action.
Religious harassment can also include teasing or lighthearted comments that are unwelcome, the use of specific clothing or hairstyles associated with certain religions and the imposition of religious practices (associative discrimination).
If you believe you are being harassed at work because of your religion or sincerely held religious beliefs, contact an experienced workplace harassment attorney in San Francisco as soon as possible. It’s important to document any incidents of harassment so your lawyer can determine whether you have a case against the company.
