FAQ: What are some examples of workplace harassment that, if continued over a period of time, may give rise to a cause of action?
Because it is not necessarily the case that workplace harassment results in some form of employment action—such as earning less than co-workers or being terminated for an illegal reason—it is often a much more subjective area of the law.  Some examples of actions that, if continued over time, could constitute actionable workplace harassment include inappropriate jokes or insults, racial or sexual slurs, sending inappropriate emails or photos, sending pornographic materials, and other types of offensive behaviors based upon a protected class such as race, sexual orientation or gender. In other cases, inappropriate touching can give rise to a claim for workplace harassment.  In many cases, workplace harassment is built based upon many actions that occur over a period of time and thus create a pervasively hostile work environment.