A hostile work enviornment has to do with a co-workers's behavior (either words or actions) that makes it difficult for an employee to reasonably perfom their job duites, and is based on that employee's race, religion, disability age (over 40), national origin, gender or the like. You did not indicate such to be the case in your wife's situation. Therefore, while unprofessional, her treatment does not give rise to a legal claim. The fact is that most employment is "at will" which means that a company can set the conditions of employment much as it sees fit. The only exception being if such conditions breached the terms of a union agreement or employment contract. Unfortunately her only options are to put up with this treatment, complain but risk termination, or quit.