Behaviors That Contribute To Hostile Work Environments
Sometimes, employers allow hostile work environments because they don't want to be sued for wrongful termination. Employers don't want to risk getting sued, so they contribute to or tolerate unbearable working environments to push an employee into quitting.
As a possible target of workplace hostility, you need to watch out for the signs, so you'll know if it's time to contact a Santa Clarita Employment Law Attorney to help you.
1. Discrimination
Defined As: When individuals or groups are treated differently at work because of their protected characteristics.
Your employer and co-workers should never make employment decisions based on biases against a protected characteristic. Discrimination can also often lead to harassment and other illegal employment decisions.
Examples of discrimination often handled by Santa Clarita Employment Lawyers:
Any discriminatory action should be reported to your HR or your employer. If they refuse to address the issue, you need to contact a Santa Clarita Employment Law Attorney to help you fight for your rights.
2. Harassment
Defined As: Unacceptable behavior motivated by race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, and so on.
When an employee's tolerance of the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or when the behavior is severe or pervasive enough to produce a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive, harassment becomes illegal.
The following can be considered forms of harassment:
Unwelcome sexual advances
Demands for sexual favors or dates
Remarks about an individual's looks
Statements or jokes of a sexual nature
Verbal or physical harassment of discriminatory or sexual nature
The harasser could be the victim's boss, a boss in another department, a co-worker, or someone who isn't an employee of the company, as a client or customer.
Contact a Santa Clarita Employment Law Attorney to help you gather evidence and file the correct employment claims. A lawyer will be able to work on your employment law claims while you focus on building your life and career back to where you want it to be.
3. Retaliation
Defined As: Taking retaliatory actions that could dissuade a reasonable individual from engaging in anti-discrimination and/or whistleblower-protected conduct, such as:
Complaining about discriminatory or harassing behavior
Disclosing or reporting violations of law, regulation, or process
Engaging in discrimination or whistleblower procedures
All of the things mentioned above are considered protected actions. As an employee, you have the right to exercise your rights. You should be able to file employment claims, report illegal activity, and participate in investigations without having to face workplace repercussions.
In short, retaliation can be defined as your employer "trying to get back at you" for exercising your rights.
Acts of retaliation can include:
Demotion
Suspension
Pay cuts
Denied a well-deserved promotion
Getting transferred or assigned to a store location that's difficult for you to drive or commute to
Harassment is encouraged or tolerated
If you're experiencing retaliation in the workplace, it can be very detrimental to both your career and emotional wellbeing. You shouldn't have to injure discriminatory and harassing behavior to keep your job.
That said, contact a Santa Clarita Employment Lawyer to help you find evidence, submit the right documents, and help defend your employment rights in California.
Bottom-line
Sometimes, employees don't even know that they have the right to fight against poor treatment from both their employers and co-workers. So if you feel like your working environment has become hostile, you might want to start doing the following:
Gather evidence
Approach your boss or HR
Consider legal actions
Consult with a Santa Clarita Employment Law Attorney
These options can help alleviate the hostility at work. This also allows you to file claims and demand compensation while you look for new work.
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