What is Hostile Work Environment?

Hostile Work Environment

Read Time: 1 Mins

A Hostile Work Environment is a workplace with various challenges for employees that affect their work and professional life. The Hostile Work Environment has instances of harassment and discrimination against protected characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex and pregnancy, national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information.

For organizations, it is a big issue as it affects employee satisfaction and productivity. Not every unpleasant workplace refers to a Hostile Work Environment, it has to meet certain legal criteria. A workplace is hostile when:

Unwelcome conduct, or harassment, is based on race, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, age, disability, or genetics
Harassment is continued and long-lasting
Conduct is severe enough that the environment becomes intimidating, offensive, or abusive

TRENDING TERMS

What is Employee Relations?
Informal Communication
What is an HR Business Partner?
Competency Based Pay
Occupational Stress

Hostile Work Environment

Looking for a modern HR platform?

Looking for a modern
HR platform?