No one in a workplace should face any type of harassment. The word “harassment” in the workplace does not limit itself to only sexual harassment. It can have various forms.
It creates a hostile work environment that makes it difficult for the employee to reach the office and work in such an abusive atmosphere. Anyone facing such issues can be compensated through litigation by New Jersey employment lawyers.
It is illegal to harass an employee at the workplace. The affected person can file a suit against the company as they are protected under both state and federal laws. The harassment can be based on race, color, sex, religion, age, disability, and national origin. It can be in the form of inappropriate comments, emails, text messages, chats, video calls, etc.
Here are five common types of harassment that any employee can face during his employment tenure.
Racial Harassment:
It is popularly known as harassment faced by the employee based on skin color. It also includes harassing anyone based on their customs, beliefs, or clothing. It can be in the form of racial jokes, racial slurs, insults, and any demeaning and shameful comments. It is often connected with
- Religious harassment
- Disability based harassment
- Age-based harassment
- Sexual Orientation-Based Harassment
Personal Harassment:
This type of harassment is not based on caste, color, religion, etc. It means harassing any employee via bullying, cracking offensive jokes, personal humiliation, critical remarks, and comments, etc. In this case, the victim feels targeted in the workplace. They can file a lawsuit in consultation with New Jersey employment lawyers for strong cases and compensation.
Physical Harassment:
It also means workplace violence where two parties can come together for a physical fight and can destroy the company’s physical assets. It also includes physical attacks, direct threats via any mode, adopting a threatening behavior, etc. Even wrong physical gestures also come under this harassment. It is very important to have harassment policies or strict rules and regulations to avoid such an environment.
Often there are some industries where workers are prone to face such harassment like:
- Social services employees,
- Teachers and educators,
- Retail staff, and
- Public transit drivers
Psychological Harassment:
It is an attack or a negative impact on the psychological well-being of an employee. It impacts their social life, physical health, work-life, and most importantly, their mental state and confidence at the workplace. It can be in any form like isolating the victim, spreading rumors, belittling them, etc.
Cyberbullying Or Online Harassment:
Organizations adopt technology for better workflow efficiency. But it has a side effect in the form of online harassment. It includes online bullies like sharing lies or gossip on social media, chatting through a humiliating tone on instant messaging, etc
Employees facing any of such common harassment issues can take legal action against the company. It is imperative on the employers’ part to revise and update the workplace harassment policies at regular intervals. Also, a fast and active internal complaint system in the organization will make employees feel safe, secure, contented, and supported.
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