Workplace Harassment Attorney in Oak Park, Illinois Serving Clients Who Have Been Subject to a Hostile Work Environment

Being subject to a hostile work environment in Oak Park can make it impossible to work in addition to causing serious psychological and emotional harm. At the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline, we are committed to assisting workers who have faced harassment that has resulted in a hostile work environment. To learn more about filing a claim, you should reach out to an experienced Oak Park hostile work environment lawyer as soon as possible.

What is a Hostile Work Environment in Oak Park?

A hostile work environment can exist when an employee is the victim of harassment or other types of unlawful discrimination. Typically, a hostile work environment makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for an employee to go to work and to do her job without feeling intimidated or scared at work. There are many different kinds of harassment and discriminatory behavior that can give rise to a hostile work environment in Oak Park. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) cites some of the following as examples of harassment that might result in a hostile work environment:

• Telling jokes at work about a person’s protected characteristics, such as race, religion, or sex;
• Sexual harassment;
• Being the target of sexually suggestive behaviors or language;
• Being the target of demeaning language related to protected characteristics like race or religion;
• Crude language at work; and
• Unnecessary touching in the workplace.

These are just a handful of examples of behavior at work that could be severe enough to create a hostile work environment. If you have questions, you should speak with a hostile work environment attorney in Oak Park about your situation.

Elements of an Oak Park Hostile Work Environment Claim

What do you need to be able to show in order to prove that the harassment you have experienced creates a hostile work environment that is unlawful? The DOL explains that harassing conduct is unlawful when the following are true:

• Harassing conduct is unwelcome;
• Harassing conduct is based on victim’s protected status or a protected characteristic;
• Harassing conduct is subjectively abusive to the person affected; and
• Harassing conduct is objectively severe and pervasive enough that it creates the type of work environment that a reasonable person would find to be hostile.

To be clear, all of the following elements above must be met in order to show that harassment in the workplace creates an unlawful hostile work environment. No one should have to deal with harassment at work, and if the harassment is so severe that it results in a hostile work environment, you should speak with a hostile work environment attorney in Oak Park to learn more about filing a claim.

Contact an Oak Park Hostile Work Environment Lawyer

Have you faced harassment at work? Do you believe you may have a hostile work environment claim? It is important to discuss your situation with an experienced Oak Park hostile work environment attorney as soon as possible. Contact the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline to learn more about our commitment to serving employees throughout the Oak Park area.

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