What is a hostile work environment and when does it violate federal law?
A hostile work environment is a workplace where unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic is severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of employment. It is one of two primary categories of actionable harassment under Title VII, along with quid pro quo harassment. The legal standard requires that a reasonable person would find the environment hostile and that the plaintiff subjectively did. Employer liability depends on who committed the conduct (supervisor, coworker, or third party) and how the employer responded.
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