The environment you work in plays a major part in your career growth, mental health, and overall well-being. If the environment at your workplace is hostile, it drastically affects your capability to work and advance in your field while causing you extreme emotional pain.
A hostile work environment is created when coworkers or other members of the organization engage in conduct that makes it uncomfortable and distressing for another employee to perform their job duties. If you have been subjected to hostile working conditions, an Austin Employment Discrimination Lawyer can help protect your rights and take legal action.
How can you recognize a hostile work environment in your workplace?
Employees working in a hostile work environment have trouble managing the excessive stress, experience burnout, anxiety, depression, and cannot work efficiently, leading to job dissatisfaction. Certain factors may contribute to a hostile work environment. If you recognize them early, you will be able to take immediate and effective action with the aid of your lawyer.
- Discriminatory practices.
The Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits the discrimination of employees based on factors such as their age, sex, race, religion, nationality, and disabilities. However, members belonging to protected classes still face discrimination in their workplaces. If you notice a supervisor or coworker making offensive remarks, jokes, denying promotions, and unlawfully terminating you because of their prejudice, you are entitled to file a complaint against them.
- Sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment is prevalent in many organizations in the United States despite being unlawful. When another employee or the employer makes sexually suggestive gestures, comments, demands, and other such non-consensual misconduct, their behavior contributes to a hostile working environment that negatively impacts you.
- Repetitive behavior.
Discrimination and harassment occurring repetitively and consistently contribute to the hostile work environment. Although they need to be corrected, isolated incidents are usually not considered factors of a hostile work environment unless they are severe, such as in the case of assaults.
How does a lawyer help?
Your lawyer’s presence is essential for ensuring the favorable outcome of your complaint. They help review your situation and determine whether you are working in a hostile work environment, document evidence against the discriminator, file a charge with the organization’s HR department or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission correctly, and enable you to seek legal remedies.
A lawyer in Austin understands your situation and has the experience and skill set to help you take the right steps. Taking proper measures ensures that you receive fair compensation to recover the losses working in a hostile work environment caused you.