While the workplace may not be many Washington, D.C. residents’ favorite place to be, it should be somewhere that they feel comfortable. Far too often workers are made to feel out of place at the least and fearful at the most. When individuals face harassment in the workplace, it can be detrimental to their work and their health.
Different types of harassment to be aware of
Unfortunately, harassment can come in many forms.
- Sexual harassment continues to be an important issue to address, and more and more people are coming forward to report the wrongdoing they have experienced.
- Racial harassment can affect people of color, especially in today’s politically-charged environment.
- Age-related harassment can easily turn into discrimination. This is also true of other conditions like pregnancy, disability, or other medical issues.
Of course, it is not always easy to determine when actions that make a person uncomfortable reach a level of harassment, at least in terms of the law, hence why it is so important to pay attention to comments like these. If a person makes an inappropriate comment one time, it may not fall into the category of unlawful harassment, depending on how severe it is. However, if a person experiences multiple instances of inappropriate behavior, such as being subjected to unwanted touching or being the subject of racist remarks on a regular basis, those behaviors could be considered harassing.
When to speak to a lawyer
Generally speaking, under the law, behaviors fall into the category of harassment when they create a hostile or intimidating workplace. Often, discriminatory and harassing actions can seem similar, and the two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, when either exists in the workplace, it can give cause for negatively affected employees to take legal action. If Washington, D.C., workers believe that such behaviors at their places of employment are violating the law, they may wish to gain information on their options for addressing the matter.
