Los Angeles Hostile Work Environment Attorney

The Laws on Harassment and Hostile Work Environments

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that employees have the right to work in an environment free of hurtful racist behavior. California also has a state law which covers a wider variety of employers than the federal law. For example, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 only applies to businesses with 15 or more employees, while our state lowers the minimum to only 5 employees.

What Makes a Work Environment Hostile?

The phrase “hostile work environment” describes a workplace where offensive racist behavior has become so widespread and pervasive that it has an impact on its victims’ health or performance. Some examples of behavior that may be seen in a racist hostile work environment include:

• The use of racial or ethnic slurs
• Perpetuation of racist or ethnic stereotypes
• The display of images or writing meant to offend a certain race or ethnicity
• Racist “jokes” or racially offensive statements
• Targeting members of certain races for unfair discipline, or passing them over for jobs, promotions or desired assignments

You do not have to be an explicit target of this behavior to file a lawsuit. However, you do have to file a complaint with your company through the established procedure. A workplace is only legally hostile if its management is aware of problematic behavior and fails to address it.

Fighting Racist Harassment

If you have tried to deal with racist harassment or a hostile work environment through your company’s proper channels and have not seen justice done, it may be time to file a civil suit. Los Angeles racial discrimination attorney Perry Smith is committed to justice and equality for all employees. Contact our offices at 888-356-2529.