Three Common Signs Of A Hostile Work Environment

We expect bullying to stop interfering with our lives after we graduate from school and enter the workforce. Unfortunately, bullying can sometimes persist in the workplace. When it does, a person is said to be in a hostile work environment.

Both federal law and California law prohibit hostile work environments from negatively impacting employees’ work performance, quality of life, mental health, and more. This doesn’t mean everyone obeys the law.

If yours is a hostile work environment, you may be able to take legal action accordingly. Review your case with a Los Angeles hostile work environment attorney at Azadian Law Group, P.C., for more information. Our experts will help you better understand your options in these circumstances.

Signs yours is a hostile work environment include (but aren’t necessarily limited to) the following:

Discrimination

A hostile work environment is often (but not always) one in which certain employees are targets of mistreatment based on their membership in a protected class or group. For example, in a hostile work environment, an employee might be a victim of discrimination based on their:

• Age
• Gender
• Gender expression
• Sexual orientation
• Religion
• Race
• National origin
• Marital status
• Disability

The law forbids discrimination on the basis of such factors. Examples of discrimination may include:

• Jokes
• Aggressive language
• Being subject to severe disciplining
• Being prevented from rising in the company
• Being assigned undesirable work duties/hours

Those are just a few examples. Again, the best way to determine if you’ve been the victim of a discrimination (and if the discrimination is so significant that it constitutes a hostile work environment) is to meet with a qualified Los Angeles hostile work environment and workplace discrimination lawyer. They can evaluate your case and determine if you have grounds to file a claim or lawsuit.

Consistent Mistreatment

Any mistreatment in the workplace is unacceptable. That said, a single incident in which a coworker mistreats another doesn’t immediately result in a workplace being considered hostile.

To qualify as a hostile work environment, a workplace must be one in which certain employees are victims of consistent mistreatment.

Be aware that it’s an employer’s responsibility to maintain a comfortable working environment for their employees. An employer can’t necessarily justify overlooking frequent hostility in the workplace by claiming they were unaware of the problem.

Negative Impacts on Work Performance

It’s often the case that someone attempting to operate in a hostile work environment is unable to do so effectively because being a victim of consistent mistreatment by coworkers, supervisors, or both will naturally prevent them from realizing their full potential as an employee. It’s difficult to optimize your on-the-job performance when your workplace is one defined by hostility.

All that said, these are just some signs of a hostile workplace. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

At Azadian Law Group, our Los Angeles hostile work environment attorneys believe no one should have to feel uncomfortable at work due to poor treatment. If you believe you’ve been a victim of an unreasonably hostile workplace, meet with us to learn how to proceed. Get started today by contacting us online or calling us at 213-229-9031.