Unhappy employees often throw around the phrase “hostile work environment,” which can quickly lead employers to have nightmares about lawsuits and government inquiries. But for harassment to rise to the level of being unlawful, it not only has to be based on a person’s inclusion in a protected class (e.g., race, sexual orientation, age), it must also be either a condition of continued employment, or severe and pervasive enough that a reasonable person would find the workplace intimidating, hostile, or abusive.
While preventing or stopping workplace harassment in its tracks is extremely important, it may be comforting for employers to know that “hostile work environment” has a specific legal definition, and just because someone is one half of a personality conflict at work doesn’t necessarily mean that they have any basis for a lawsuit.
Should you have any questions on this or any other HR topic, please be sure to contact CyQuest.