Most of us have heard the phrase “hostile work environment” but may not be sure precisely what it means. Depending on the details. A hostile work environment can be a form of discrimination that can entitle victims to compensation. If you believe that you have been the victim of a hostile work environment because of your race, gender, religion, color, or other characteristics, it’s in your best interest to speak with a New York employment discrimination lawyer as soon as you can.

Meaning of Hostile Work Environment

Various federal laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibit hostile work environments. Essentially, a hostile work environment occurs when offensive conduct or comments are directed toward employees of a particular race, nationality, religion, gender, or other protected groups. This conduct disrupts the workplace and violates the rights of the employees in the protected group.  To constitute a hostile work environment, the conduct must:

• Be frequent
• Be severe
• Be physically threatening or humiliating
• Create an adverse psychological effect on the targeted employee
• Unreasonably interfere with the targeted employee’s performance

When the unpleasant conduct becomes so pervasive or offensive that any employee no longer feels able to come to work, the hostile environment may constitute constructive discharge.  In other words, the toxicity of the work environment “forces” the employee to quit. 

What You Should Do if You Believe You Are the Victim of a Hostile Environment

If you believe that you are the victim of a hostile work environment, you should contact an experienced and knowledgeable attorney working in the area of hostile environment employment discrimination. The attorney will be able, at no cost, to discuss your claim with you and advise you as to how you should proceed.

You should also:

• Document your case – you must be able to prove it, and documents will help
• Keep communicating with superiors and Human Resources
• Contact an employment law attorney

These steps will go a long way toward supporting your claim. 

Call a New York Hostile Environment Lawyer Today for a Free Consultation

If you have been the victim of a hostile work environment, you should speak to a lawyer as soon as you can. To schedule a consultation with a member of our team, call A.Y.G., PLLC, today at 646-201-8625 or contact us online.