Do I Have a Hostile Working Environment?
Is the air in your office so tense it could be cut with a knife? Do you have that one employee that for whatever reason can’t seem to keep their slightly off color jokes to themselves? Does football season bring a sense of anxiety because you have the two guys who love “friendly” competition?
While these things may seem trivial they can breed hostile work environments. A hostile work environment is defined as severe and pervasive conduct that permeates the work environment and interferes with an employee’s ability to perform his or her job. Hostile work environments are actionable in the Equal Employment Opportunity process when it relates to discrimination.
So how do you identify a hostile environment?
Hostile environments can come in many shapes and forms – both caused by employees and management alike. Any of the following behaviors from a superior, peer or report can foster a hostile environment:
- Prohibiting personal objects (i.e. family photos, team memorabilia)
- Unrealistic job expectations
- Unrealistic rules (i.e. you may only use the restroom twice a day for no more than 10 minutes)
- Name calling
- Demeaning language
- Giving the silent treatment
- Sexual harassment
- Berating (this could be about anything – from sports to clothing choices)
- Name calling
It is important as a leader to stay in touch with what is happening in the workplace – at all levels of the business. Managing the work environment can be a tough job – especially if you missed the warning signs and you have fostered a hostile environment. ESP can help you find the right team to support your HR functions and mitigate these types of challenges before they become lawsuits.
Contact us today to find out how we can lend a hand!