Do You Feel Like You're Being Harassed?
What does the legal definition of harassment really mean?
One of the most frequent statements that we hear in the union office is, "I am being harassed at work." In order to help educate and empower our members, we thought it would be good for everyone to know the legal definitions of workplace harassment. Definitions of terms:
Harassment:
An action that unreasonably interferes with an individual(s) work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment due to discrimination based on an individual’s race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, veteran’s status, or disability (or any other discriminatory factor prohibited by Federal or State law ordinances or regulations).
Sexual Harassment:
A form of discrimination that includes, but is not limited to, sexual advances or requests for sexual favors that directly or indirectly imply that submission or rejection could affect an individual’s employment. Sexual Harassment may also involve unwanted verbal, visual, or physical conduct, of a sexual nature, which creates an “offensive” work environment.
Verbal Harassment:
The flagrant use of foul or offensive language, jokes, derogatory slurs, or comments concerning an individual’s race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, veteran’s status, or disability (or any other discriminatory factor prohibited by Federal or State law ordinances or regulations).
Physical Harassment:
The use of physical force against an individual because of the individual’s race, color, creed, national origin, religion, political belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran’s status, or disability (or any other discriminatory factor prohibited by Federal or State law ordinances or regulations).