To
“harass” means “to irritate
or torment persistently; to bully.”
Every employee is entitled to freedom from
harassment
in the workplace. It is illegal when an employer
or an employer’s agent (e.g., supervisor; foreman)
harasses an employee without a just cause.
The law does not spell out the kind of behavior an
employer can use. But unlawful harassment
is defined as verbal or physical conduct which denigrates
(defames; attacks the reputation of) or shows hostility
or aversion to an individual because of that person’s
race, creed, color, religion, gender, national
origin, age, disability, or umarital status,
and which
 |
has the purpose
or effect of unreasonably interfering with that
person’s work or performance, or |
|
has the purpose or effect of
creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive
work environment, or |
|
otherwise adversely affects
that individual’s employment opportunities. |
In general, harassment is any form of behavior that
is unjust and
|
makes the employee
feel humiliated (the behavior puts him/her
down), |
|
offended, or |
|
intimidated. |
With the population of America becoming more and
more diverse, job harassment cases are turning out
to be varied in nature than being mere sexual
harassment.
Workplace has now become a multi-cultural place with
employees from differing race, religion, or ethnic
background being part of it. Nowadays, on job
harassment cases are not limited to sex harassment
but can be based on an employee's ethnic background,
age, or physical disability.
