Workplace Environment Law
- Several federal laws address hostile work environment conditions. These include the Civil Right Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. These laws make discriminatory harassment at work on the basis of race, color, disability, religion, national origin, age, sex or genetics illegal.
- Many states have fair employment practices laws. These laws often address workplace environment conditions created by discriminatory or harassing behavior, as well. To find out if your state has such a law in place and what protections are offered under it, contact your state employment agency. For instance, in Alaska, the state agency is called the Office of Equal Opportunity. In California, it's called the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, while in Florida it's called the Commission on Human Relations.
- To prove that you were subjected to a hostile work environment, you generally have to prove that the harassment was so severe, intentional and recurring as to interfere with your ability to do your job. And there must be proof that you believed or had reason to believe that tolerating the negative working conditions was necessary to keep your job.
- If you feel you are being subjected to a hostile workplace environment because of someone's discriminatory behavior, start by contacting your human relations personnel and naming your abuser and the abuse. Let the company handle the problem internally. However, if you feel that the company has not handled the matter properly, you can report the incidents to your state's employment agency. To seek refuge under federal laws, file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As a last resort, you may take your employer and your harasser to court.
