What is a hostile working environment?
You have likely heard the term “hostile working environment” tossed around by a disgruntled co-worker at some point in your professional career, but what exactly constitutes a hostile working environment? There are several qualifying factors that must be met before a work environment can be considered hostile, and they may not be exactly what you think. While obnoxiously loud, interrupting co-workers can definitely play into a work environment that is less-than conducive for quality work, their actions alone aren’t enough to be considered a hostile working environment. Instead, according to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a hostile working environment is defined as: “...unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age [...]
