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A hostile work environment can be one of the most damaging problems an employee may encounter while at work. This can be more than occasional disagreements or conflicts, but can also include actions and situations that cause unease, intimidation, or fear. These environments can damage employee well-being, morale, and workplace productivity. About 52% of employees have experienced or witnessed harassment at work and 53.7% have left jobs because of the work environment.
In this blog, we will examine what a hostile work environment entails, including its indicators, examples, prevention tactics, essential policies, and key legal considerations. In this blog, you will understand how to not only recognise a hostile work environment, but also how to respond if an employee finds themselves in a hostile work environment.
A hostile work environment occurs in a work setting where repeated acts of fear, intimidation, or harassment create an atmosphere that prevents employees from performing their job properly.
A hostile work environment and workplace bullying generally arise from an accumulation of discrimination, bullying, or harassment. In contrast to a minor incident involving two people, hostile work behaviour has a negative impact on the work environment and can affect many employees at the same time.
A hostile workplace is usually the result of a continual pattern of discrimination, bullying, or harassment. In this case, hostile conduct is more serious than a minor conflict that might arise between two people; hostile work behaviour hurts the work environment and can affect many employees at the same time.
Keep in mind that hostile work environments arise when the offensive behaviour is ongoing and severe enough to disrupt the psychological safety of an employee. This then becomes not only an HR issue but an organisational, legal, and ethical issue. The hostile work environment perpetuates under-representation and marginalisation, thus being harmful to all employees and workplaces.
From the viewpoint of an organisation, dealing with hostility in the workplace is just as vital for maintaining productivity. If an employee has a negative experience, there is a potential for not only losing that employee, but also the company's reputation can suffer. A friendly and respectful workplace builds better professional relationships as well as positive growth.
Hostile work environments can appear in a variety of ways, most often as a series of ongoing negative behaviours that can be distracting, uncomfortable, and interrupt productive work. Below are some signs of a hostile work environment with real examples that commonly occur in day-to-day workplaces:
Offensive jokes or slurs, or discriminatory actions on account of an employee's race, religion, gender, or disability are damaging. These hostile work environment examples of behaviour create an unsafe workplace; also, if a discriminatory workplace is established, the employer is at risk of having to face serious legal actions.
Ongoing intimidation, exclusion, unfair criticism, or rumour-spreading are common characteristics of a hostile work environment. This type of behaviour ostracises employees and hinders morale; over time, it hinders their overall productivity and can damage the mental health of an employee.
Sexual harassment includes Inappropriate behaviour for sexual attention, sexual comments or jokes, and any actions that overstep personal boundaries to cause an employee discomfort in the workplace. All of these acts violate personal boundaries and can create an unsafe workplace. These behaviours also create a hostile work environment because they violate employees' physical and emotional well-being and safety.
Retaliating against employees for voicing concerns or reporting claims of misconduct. Retaliation continues and reinforces hostile behaviour or practices. It discourages others from speaking up, thus allowing toxicity to take root.
Shouting, scorn, or humiliation, while doing so in front of one or more employees (on a repetitive or patterned basis), threatens your employee's confidence while creating a hostile environment.
Establishing a workplace that is safe and inclusive is a collective responsibility when management and employees work together. Prevention is always better than fixing something, and organisations need to do more than react to prevent negative/bad, and toxic behaviours. Here are some key points to help prevent a hostile work environment:
Set policies that outline expected workplace behaviours through anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies. If employees know expectations, it will be easier to understand unacceptable behaviour and how to report these instances.
Implement periodic workshops on workplace ethics, diversity, and respect. Continual workplace training defines when employees must escalate issues by understanding when the workplace has become hostile or intolerable.
Create an environment where employees feel safe broaching concerns they may have without retaliation. The more open the dialogue is, the more likely employees are to address concerns without escalating issues at the workplace.
Provide safe and anonymous options for employees to report inappropriate conduct. Strong reporting systems help organisations address a hostile work environment quickly and efficiently. This builds trust and encourages employees to speak up without fear.
Provide leadership training to managers that focuses on effective leadership based on fairness, empathy, and professionalism. Leaders who exhibit respectful and appropriate leadership behaviours set the example for the entire workplace.
Having a well-defined hostile work environment policy supports an organisation's goal of preserving fairness, safety, and accountability. When employees are informed of their rights and are provided a clear process for initiating and resolving complaints, they are better able to exercise their rights. The following are the major components that must be included.
The policy should provide clarity on the definition of harassment, discrimination, or bullying. This clarification allows employees to identify what behaviour is unacceptable and helps promote and build awareness.
Employees should have clear and straightforward methods to report complaints, with alternative ways of reporting. Reporting Procedures are steps an employee can take to express a complaint or concern. Reporting Procedures provide safe and confidential ways to report problems. Simple procedures will encourage employees to speak up without hesitation.
To ensure that all complaints are handled confidentially. Confidentiality will encourage employees to come forward without the worry of further exposure. Also, confidentiality builds trust in the reporting system and demonstrates that matters that require sensitivity will be approached in a delicate manner.
Ensure employees know that they will not face any consequences if they file a complaint. Doing so helps build trust, and it will help to assure employees that their concerns will be treated fairly and safely, without the concern for retaliation. A well-established non-retaliation policy ultimately leads to more employees coming forward to report workplace issues.
To outline the process and structure of how investigations will occur and what the various disciplinary options are in the case that an employee is found guilty of misconduct. Using a fair process ensures actions are confronted and employees will not repeat the same behaviours.
The legal considerations related to a hostile work environment differ by region, but overall, there are some laws regarding employment that protect employee rights to a safe, harassment-free, and respectful workplace. Understanding these considerations is helpful in terms of compliance and management of potential regulatory or legal risks.
The anti-discrimination laws that protect employees from mistreatment based on their race, gender, age, religion, disability, or other protected characteristics. It provides employees with a safe and inclusive work environment, while providing employers with clear rules on providing equal employment opportunities and eliminating discrimination.
Harassment is defined in both federal and state laws, and that means for an employer. Harassment laws place a responsibility on an employer to take proactive steps to prevent and to remedy complaints of harassment if they want to avoid liability.
Employers can be liable for creating or failing to stop hostile conduct. It relates to taking preventive measures responsibly and in good faith by showing employees your expectations about their workplace behaviour and training. Reasonable training and policies can be very useful in creating a defence and limiting exposure to legal liability.
Employees have the right to come forward and report unsafe working conditions free from retaliation. The rights of workers are a critical component of compliance in labour law. Protecting workers' rights creates fairness and a safe and respectful workplace.
Employees can file complaints with either agencies, such as the EEOC, or they can sue. These methods of seeking relief help ensure that organisations are held to a higher standard and can deliver a sort of corrective justice.
Yes. A hostile work environment is unlawful when it arises from discriminatory or harassing conduct targeting protected characteristics. It also violates labour laws or is the result of the employer's failure to act when it becomes aware of such conduct. A hostile work environment can occur due to an employer's negligence, preventing the conduct from taking place.
