Legal Requirements for a Hostile Work Environment?
In order to have a successful claim against an employer for a hostile work environment, you must typically be able to demonstrate two key elements.
First, you need to be able to demonstrate that the behavior was so severe and pervasive that it impacted the nature of your employment with the company. Employees are usually able to prove this element by providing evidence of a consistent pattern of abuse towards employees in the workplace.
The second element you have to prove to have a successful hostile workplace claim is that the behavior was specifically targeting you from a protected group, such as race, sexual orientation, disability or religion.
For example, if an employer utilizes behavior that only affects women, this would meet the standard, whereas behavior targeting all employees ‘equally’ would not. It’s important to remember that it is not against the law for your employer to be rude, discourteous, disagreeable, or unpleasant.
Zeff Law Firm’s hostile work environment lawyer can help you identify whether you are able to sue for workplace hostility and identify the options you have to improve your workplace environment.
How Our Hostile Work Environment Lawyers Can Help
Harassment based on a protected class such as sex, race, religion and even complaints about a protected class still remain one of most common forms of discrimination in the workplace today. It can come in many forms, such as sexually inappropriate language, unwanted touching, misogynistic treatment, comments, lack of participation, poor evaluations, unequal treatment of an employee. Sexual harassment also exists where a man or woman is treated worse because that employee does not engage in sex or even sexual flirting with his or her supervisors or superiors.
Hiring an experienced hostile work environment lawyer in Philadelphia will put you in a better position to win your case. A Philadelphia hostile work environment attorney will guide you through the process of pursuing a claim, including reviewing the evidence and determining its strength. As your case proceeds, your hostile work environment lawyer will represent you in court and negotiate a settlement on your behalf. If you can prove that you experienced a hostile work environment, you may be entitled to compensatory damages. These damages typically include claims for lost wages, including back pay and benefits. Most courts prefer the reinstatement of the employee and the termination of the offending employee as a resolution to the claim. State laws may offer more protection than federal law. Contact our hostile work environment lawyers in Philadelphia and Mount Laurel at 856-778-9700 to learn more.