Harassment in the workplace occurs when an employee is mistreated on the basis of a characteristic that is protected by state or federal law; including, but not limited to, federal statutes: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Examples of the characteristics protected by federal and state law include:

• Gender or sex
• Pregnancy
• Age
• Race or national origin
• Disability
• Religion
• Sexual orientation
• Marital status

While single or minor slights will not necessarily be considered illegal harassment by law, ongoing or extreme conduct will be. This behavior includes offensive conduct that is pervasive, of a serious nature, or implied to be a condition of employment or promotion and such that a reasonable person would feel that it creates a hostile work environment. Conduct considered harassment can include examples such as:

• Physical assaults
• Verbal threats
• Intimidation
• Slurs and jokes
• Insults, ridicule, and mockery
• Visual displays of offensive photos, objects or materials
• Actual interference with job performance

Simply put, harassment is not acceptable and you do not have to put up with it. We are here to help. Request an appointment online. We look forward to working with you!