Hostile work environment harassment occurs when unwelcome comments or conduct based on sex, race or other legally protected characteristics un-reasonably interferes with an employee’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.

Anyone in the workplace might commit this type of harassment – a management official, co-worker, or non-employee, such as a contractor, vendor or guest. The victim can be anyone affected by the conduct, not just the individual at whom the offensive conduct is directed.

As a law firm providing experienced Hostile Work Environment Attorney & lawyer legal services, assisting Orlando and Central Florida area residents with hostile work environment legal needs. We are committed to protecting the legal rights of each and every client, while always striving to provide the highest standard of legal representation.

A claim of harassment which causes a hostile work environment generally requires several elements, including:

• The complaining party must be a member of a statutorily protected class;

• The employee was subjected to unwelcome verbal or physical conduct related to his or her membership in that protected class;

• The unwelcome conduct in question was based on his or her membership in that protected class;

• The unwelcome conduct affected a term or condition of employment and/or had the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with his or her work performance and/or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.

• Leering, i.e., staring in a sexually suggestive manner;

• Making offensive remarks about looks, clothing, body parts;

• Touching in a way that may make an employee feel uncomfortable, such as patting, pinching or intentional brushing against another’s body;

• Telling sexual or lewd jokes, hanging sexual posters, making sexual gestures, etc.;

• Sending, forwarding or soliciting sexually suggestive letters, notes, emails, or images.

• Use of racially derogatory words, phrases, epithets;

• Demonstrations of a racial or ethnic nature such as a use of gestures, pictures or drawings which would offend a particular racial or ethnic group;

• Comments about an individual’s skin color or other racial/ethnic characteristics;

• Making disparaging remarks about an individual’s gender that are not sexual in nature;

• Negative comments about an employee’s religious beliefs (or lack of religious beliefs);

• Expressing negative stereotypes regarding an employee’s birthplace or ancestry;

• Negative comments regarding an employee’s age when referring to employees 40 and over;

• Derogatory or intimidating references to an employee’s mental or physical impairment.