Workplace Harassment

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actions or words are directed at an individual based on his or her age. Age harassment is most frequently aimed at older individuals, although it can technically be directed towards people of any age. It is harassment is subjecting an employee to demeaning, offensive, and inappropriate behavior based on their age. This includes directing an employee in offensive way.

Harassment based on someone’s religion is also present in the workplace environment. Religion harassment is when an employee is subjected to demeaning, offensive, and inappropriate behavior based on their religious practices or beliefs. Harassment based off of someone’s disability is another type of harassment that can occur in the workplace environment. Disability harassment consists of verbal, gesturing, or aggressive conduct that conveys denigration, hostility, or aversion toward a person because of that person’s disability. Examples of disability harassment may include, an employee with cerebral palsy being made fun of due to the way they speak, or a person being called a name because of their disability.

Handling Workplace Harassment

Workplace harassment is something that is very common in this day and age. It is important that both employees and employers know the steps that they should take if they fall victim to workplace harassment. Employees are encouraged to inform the harasser directly that the conduct is unwelcome and must stop. Employees should also report harassment to their supervisors or upper management at an early stage to prevent escalation.

It is vital that the victim does not ignore the harassment. By ignoring the harassment that is taking place within the workplace environment, the harassment then could escalade and grow into a bigger problem. Harassment in the workplace environment can turn even the most meaningful and rewarding job into a nightmare. It can become hard to concentrate on daily work tasks or complete assignments if harassment in the workplace environment is present. Workplace harassment impairs the workplace environment for everyone.

The first thing that the victim should do when they feel that they are being harassed by another person in the workplace environment is let them be aware about that actions that they are doing. They person might not realize that they are making the other person uncomfortable. If the harasser ignores this or if the harassment is at a higher level then the victim should report the harassment to their supervisor or upper management.

It is also import that the victim always creates a written record that is describing the inappropriate behavior, the date, time and place it occurred, and who else was present. This information can be very important when reporting the harassment. If things should escalate, or official or legal consequences arise, written documentation will be the most important thing to have in this type of situation.

It is important that when handling workplace harassment, that the victim follows company procedures. Labor laws require that the employer take appropriate steps to ensure a hostility-free workplace and prevent discrimination. It is vital to follow the company’s complaint procedures to report bad behavior if the problem is unresolved. If there is no policy, the victim then can contact the human resources department to find out the procedure for reporting harassment.

Consequences of Workplace Harassment

“According to the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA)” (U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission).

Workplace harassment can create a hostile workplace environment Federal laws prohibit harassment that creates a hostile work environment because of discrimination. “Anywhere people are employed and someone at work makes other people feel uncomfortable, intimidated, oppressed or offended because of their race, national origin, disability, religious beliefs, gender, sex or age, there is a hostile work environment” (Reeves & Media).

Workplace Harassment Prevention

Prevention is the best implement to eliminate harassment in the workplace. Employers are encouraged to take appropriate steps to prevent and correct unlawful harassment in occurs in the workplace environment. It is important that employers clearly communicate to employees that unwelcome harassing conduct will not be tolerated in the workplace environment. “Employers can do this by establishing an effective complaint or grievance process, providing anti-harassment training to their managers and employees, and taking immediate and appropriate action when an employee complains” (U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission).

Employers should strive to create a workplace environment in which employees feel free to raise concerns and are confident that those concerns will be addressed in the proper manner. The employer must take all reasonable steps to prevent workplace harassment from occurring. If harassment does occur, the employer must take immediate and effective steps to stop further harassment and correct any effects of the

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