What does hostile environment harassment entail?

Hostile environment harassment involves conduct that creates a threatening, intimidating, or abusive work environment for an employee. This type of harassment is characterized by behaviors that are severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of employment and create an abusive atmosphere. It can manifest through various forms of actions, such as inappropriate jokes, comments, or physical conduct that negatively impacts an individual's ability to perform their job.

The focus on creating a threatening work environment is key, as it highlights the impact of the behavior on the employee's experience at work. Unlike minor annoyances or incidental offensive remarks, hostile environment harassment is about the cumulative effect of behavior that can make an individual feel unsafe or marginalized. Additionally, while disputes over personal issues between employees may lead to conflict, they do not necessarily meet the threshold for a hostile work environment unless they involve persistent patterns of behavior that create a hostile atmosphere.