New York Hostile Work Environment Lawyers

Fighting Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

All employees, including executives and C-suite leaders, may find themselves enduring a hostile work environment due to sexual harassment--a situation that can be both humiliating and isolating. The unique challenges of leadership roles often make it harder to address harassment, especially when the behavior originates from peers or other high-ranking individuals. Speaking up against such misconduct can feel daunting, particularly when your reputation and career are at stake.

At Arcé Law Group, our lawyers understand the complexities of these situations. The team in our New York office is committed to safeguarding your rights, Trust us to guide you through the process and work tirelessly to help you emerge stronger and whole again.

Call (866) 426-7182 or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation. We serve clients throughout New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.

Hostile Work Environment Claims

Employees are protected by both federal and state law. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits sexual harassment in workplaces when the employer employs 15 or more employees. The New York Human Rights Law applies to employers that employ at least four employees. However, everyone is legally entitled to work in a place free from sexual harassment. A complaint may be filed under the Human Rights Law against an employer, even if you are the only employee.

A hostile work environment is a prime form of sexual harassment. It may be produced through a coworker, supervisor, manager, or customer’s use of words, jokes, signs, pranks, intimidation, assault, touching, innuendoes, sexually explicit remarks, or groping. The conduct needs to be unwanted and either frequent or pervasive. 

The conduct in question must generate a work environment that would be hostile, offensive, or intimidating to reasonable people of the same sex. An incident of teasing or a one-off remark is not likely to rise to the level of a hostile work environment. 

You need not be a direct victim of the harassment to be affected by a hostile work environment and to bring a claim. A hostile work environment can adversely affect every employee in the workplace.

Harassment can be most intimidating when it comes from a manager or supervisor. When an upper-level manager creates a hostile work environment, they act as an agent of the employer, and the employer may be held vicariously liable. 

Victims of harassment at the executive and C-suite level may feel professionally vulnerable due to their position within the organization. You still have the right to work in an environment free of misconduct, regardless of your rank. Organizations are responsible for preventing harassment at every level, and they can be held accountable for failing to act appropriately. By addressing the behavior, you not only assert your rights but also reinforce the importance of integrity and respect within the workplace. Seeking legal guidance can help you confront these issues while safeguarding your position.

Recognizing Non-Sexual Forms of Harassment

While sexual harassment often dominates discussions about workplace misconduct, non-sexual harassment is equally harmful and also prohibited by law. 

Non-sexual harassment refers to unwelcome conduct targeting individuals based on protected characteristics which include: 

This behavior can create a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment, or unreasonably interfere with an employee’s ability to perform their job.

Examples of non-sexual harassment include racial slurs or derogatory comments about someone’s ethnicity, mocking or demeaning a person’s religious practices, offensive jokes about disabilities, exclusion from workplace activities due to sexual orientation, or persistent age-related remarks made to older employees. 

These actions, whether verbal, physical, or non-verbal (such as gestures or emails), can rise to the level of harassment when they are pervasive or severe enough to impact workplace conditions.