While workplace harassment and employment discrimination are often similar and have a similar impact on employees, workplace harassment based upon a protected class is actually a specific form of employment discrimination.  Workplace harassment doesn’t necessarily include some form of action taken by your employer—in many cases, employees are subject to workplace harassment because of the actions of fellow co-workers or even customers. In workplace harassment cases, it is not necessary to show that some sort of adverse employment action was involved, such as being passed over for a promotion or raise or being wrongfully terminated.