Harassment in the Workplace
Did you know that harassment and discrimination went hand in hand? I will demonstrate how they go together and I will give you example of different types of harassment/discrimination. Finally, I will explain how, as an employer or manager, to prevent harassment in the workplace. Avoiding the harassment scenario is the best way to prevention.
Harassment is an unwelcome conduct based on a person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), and disability. Harassment is a type of employment discrimination that violates:
* Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
* Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
* Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
It is against the law to harass when the following situations are present:
* When an offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment
* When the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive
The following are types of conduct that may be construed as offensive:
* Offensive jokesĀ
* Slurs
* Name calling
* Physical assaults or threats
* Intimidation
* Ridicule or mockery
* Insults or put-downs
* Offensive objects or pictures
Antidiscrimination laws protect individuals against retaliation, which is also considered harassment, when they file a discrimination charge, testify, or participate in an investigation that they believe discriminates against individuals, in violation of these laws.
Harassment comes in different shapes and sizes, the person harassing can be the victim's supervisor, an agent of the employer, a co-worker, a supervisor in another area, or a non-employee. Harassment does not have to result in economic injury to, or discharge of, the victim to be harassment. A victim can be anyone affected by the harassment and does not have to be the actual person being...