Hostile workplace environments make jobs unbearable for employees. Workers experiencing a hostile workplace environment may face harassment based on the color of their skin, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, disability or age. Coworkers or supervisors can be responsible for the harassment, making the affected workers feel alienated, unappreciated and unwelcome. If the harassment and discrimination is persistent enough to create a hostile workplace environment, employers may be breaking the law.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a hostile work environment is harassment pervasive enough to create an intimidating environment. Yosemite National Park might be a good example, if the recent allegations of sexual harassment against it are true.
The national park has been hit with numerous complaints from women who claim supervisors have created a toxic and hostile workplace environment. Allegations against the park claim supervisors are guilty of bullying, gender bias and favoritism. Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are investigating the claims.
How do You Prove a Hostile Workplace Environment?
We have written blogs on how to gather evidence for a potential employment lawsuit. Evidence is crucial to proving claims. If workers were treated differently because of gender, race, sexual orientation, pregnancy status or disability, evidence may be all over the place in the form of text messages, emails, voicemails or witness testimony.
In the event multiple workers of a protected class were targeted by the same supervisors (as may be the case in Yosemite), it can be easier to collect evidence for a possible lawsuit.
The Los Angeles labor law lawyers at Kesluk, Silverstein, Jacob & Morrison, P.C. can help workers who have been harmed by discrimination.