Workplace HarassmentThe term 'harassment' means unfavorable behavior against an employee. There are various forms in which a prejudice can crop up in the workplace. The discrimination can occur due to race, class, age, disability and gender in the workplace and is also counted as the violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and other federal authority. Also, the workplace could be an office, factory, private home, school or a store and the act of harassment can happen in lunchroom, washrooms, staff rooms or production areas of the workplace. Other factors that constitute harassment include verbal or physical abuse that occur on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, nationality, age, disability, sexual advancement. This is also leads to a hostile working environment to crop up in the workplace. The harasser could be a management officer, colleague or a person outside the office like outworker or visitor. The instances that make up sexual intimidating circumstances harassment include gazing in a sexual evocative way, passing objectionable remarks on an employee's appearance, clothing style or physical characteristics. Also, touching in form of patting, pinching or clinging intentionally against other's body can also be another form of sexual harassment. Other approach of sexual harassment could be narrating offensive jokes, hanging of sexual posters and showing various sexual gesticulations. Harassment in the workplace also constitute of a situation when a harasser sends letters, annotations, e-mails or pictures that are sexually evocative. Apart from sexual orientation actions, other factors that result in workplace harassment include usage of disparaging words and phrases, gestures and drawing images thereby offending a person's race and ethnic nature. Discriminating or offending an employee on the basis of physical appearance like color also forms a part of harassment. Another discriminating behavior occurs when a person passes offensive or negative remarks on an individual's gender or religious beliefs. Also, passing of rude remarks or disparaging comments to a person who is above 40 years of age or to an individual who is physical or mentally impaired. Though all these offensive acts are non-sexual in nature but they are counted as severe workplace harassment. Such unsolicited conduct gets in the way of an employee's work and hampers his or her performance at the job. An employer's act of harassment affects an employee's benefits in various ways, including hiring, promotions, demotions and exclusion. An employee who feels that they have been subjugated or harassed may legally claim against such unwelcome acts but it should meet certain standards under the eyes of laws. The complainant cannot only be the victim who is directly affected; it could be anyone who perceives such offensive acts. The conduct must be so severe that affect or changes the present employment conditions of the individual and is responsible for the hostile work environment. There are federal or state agencies like Human Rights Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Age Discrimination Employment Act and Racial Relations Act that protects an individual civil rights. A victim can approach the discrimination attorney and can claim under the states state and federal laws. |