Hostile Work Environment

Hostile Work Environment is when a work environment becomes offensive or hostile because of a worker’s sex, race, age, sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, national origin or other classes protected by Oregon law (and sometimes protected by federal law and under EEOC rules).

Hostile work environment goes hand-in-hand with harassment (sometimes spelled as harrasment or harrassment). Hostile work environment based on a protected class, like those listed above, is unlawful in Portland, Oregon and the state of Oregon. This unlawful environment can be caused by managers, supervisors, coworkers or third parties (vendors, customers, etc.) Holding an employer responsible can depend on who is causing and who knows about (or should know about) the hostile work environment.

An employment lawyer or hostile work environment lawyer can help you weigh what happened so you can understand whether, under the law, you have a case for hostile work environment. If you believe you have been mistreated, please consider contacting our workplace lawyers at 503-987-0000.

In addition to going through the facts with you, a workplace harassment lawyer will review and discuss with you your legal rights. On top of providing legal advice, a workplace lawyer you hire will typically investigate the claims by speaking with witnesses or potential witnesses and reviewing documents. Once an investigation has determined your legal rights were violated, an employment lawyer usually will either file charges (often with the EEOC) for hostile work environment or file a hostile work environment lawsuit. If charges are first filed, usually a hostile work environment lawsuit will be filed after those charges were further investigated.

This is just an overview and a guide, not a complete list. Each case is different which is why it is so important for you to immediately contact a professional, such as a Portland hostile work environment lawyer at an employment law firm like the Bullman Law Firm, Attorney For Workers.

Our law office takes on other cases on behalf of workers. Attorneys in our office take on cases involving sexual harassment, sex and gender discrimination, race discrimination, race harassment and sexual orientation discrimination and harassment. Our lawyers also take on pregnancy discrimination and harassment, workers’ compensation retaliation and other forms of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. We also take on whistleblowing cases.

For your reference, EEOC is formally known as The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. BOLI, which is an Oregon state agency, is formally known as The Bureau of Labor and Industries.