Most of our days are spent in the company of our coworkers. While everyone deserves a welcoming and safe work environment, the unfortunate reality is many organizations fail to protect their employees from hostility and harassment. Regardless of whether it’s an individual or a group of people, employees deserve to feel appreciated and valued at work.
Hostile work environments can produce anxiety and depression, as well as financial and future career losses. If you believe your work environment is aggressive due to another person’s actions or negligence, you have the right to consult with an experienced lawyer about your situation.
5 Ways to Prove a Hostile Work Environment
When you’re feeling burnout due to overwork, passive-aggressive behavior, and alienation in the workplace, you may want to seek legal action against the responsible party. To file a successful claim, your lawyer will need to gather evidence on your behalf. Some examples of evidence they may work with you to collect may include the following:
Documentation of Any Harassment
Writing down first-person accounts of the harassment with details about the date, time, location, and who is involved may provide crucial evidence of the hostility directed toward you. Another way to document your harassment is by taking videos or pictures of the harassment and any injuries if possible.
Communications
Saving copies of any communication containing harassing language will offer a judge information about the type of hostility you suffer in the workplace. Some examples may include text messages, emails, voicemails, and memos. It’s important to note that not all communication needs to be from within the workplace. If they message you outside work hours with harassing language, those documents are also relevant to your case.
Potential Witnesses
If you are not the only one suffering harassment in your hostile workplace, you may want to quietly approach these individuals and ask if they would be willing to provide a testimonial. You may also seek witnesses who have seen your harassment and determine whether they would be willing to testify on your behalf. Even having just one reliable witness in your claim may provide vital information.
Personnel Files
Customer feedback, performance reviews, promotions, and other personal files are vital in a workplace harassment case. Your lawyer will want to showcase any positive feedback of your dedication to the organization and also any information that provides insight into harsh and harmful critiques. These documents may also show your work timeline and whether your career progression or productivity has suffered due to the hostility.
Company Policies
Your lawyer will want to analyze your company’s policies for any information about rules or regulations they may fail to perform. A major red flag in a hostile work environment is when a company disregards its own policies and fails to investigate your claims internally. You may have even provided evidence to your HR department about the issues, and they continued to fail you. Providing your lawyer with your employee handbook, company manual, and employee contract is vital to your case.
Hostile workplaces cause employees to suffer major cases of anxiety and loss of confidence, causing many workers to place the blame on themselves rather than those at fault. You deserve a safe and healthy work environment. Before you disregard your case, speak with The Spiggle Law Firm about your situation, and we will provide you with the best possible options.
Discover Devoted Employment Lawyers at The Spiggle Law Firm
When you spend between 35 and 40 hours each week at work, you want to feel appreciated for the services you provide your company. Many individuals suffer from hostility in the workplace and endure harassment in fear of consequences. Our lawyers at The Spiggle Law Firm understand your concerns and will offer our guidance so you may have the best possible outcome for your claim.
In 2009, Tom Spiggle founded our law firm and started building a company where employees may feel comfortable communicating their concerns. We know how important it is to have an enjoyable work environment, and we believe every person deserves protection from harassment. Schedule a consultation with one of our team members for a case evaluation by calling (202) 449-8527 or completing our contact form today.
