Employees across Massachusetts are entitled to work in an environment that is free from hostility, discrimination and harassment. Employers will often put policies in place to ensure that these types of behaviors don’t happen. When it does, companies generally have a disciplinary and investigative procedure. What happens with work-related gatherings outside of the office though? Many companies take employees outside of

The term sexual harassment applies to many situations, but the wording confuses some people. There are those who assume their case did not actually sexual harassment because the person intimidating or mistreating them is the same sex or gender as they are. Despite the common assumption that people must be of different sexes for sexual harassment to occur, the reality

You work in an office space, so you only have a few brief interactions with colleagues each day. Like so many today, much of your conversations are carried out online via email or other messaging apps. Generally, work-related conversations are professional and to the point. However, lately, you’ve started to receive messages from a co-worker that make you feel uncomfortable.

If someone tells you that they’ve been facing sexual harassment at work, it’s natural for you to assume that this treatment is based on some sort of perceived romantic relationship from the other person. They may not want an actual relationship, of course, but they’re attracted to their co-worker. It could be a supervisor who wants to start a physical

Oftentimes, when we hear about sexual harassment, we envision an older male supervisor inappropriately touching, propositioning or making lewd comments about a female colleague. While it’s true that each of those scenarios constitutes sexual harassment, it by no means encompasses all of the possible offenses. In fact, harassment doesn’t even need to occur between members of the opposite sex to

Whether you’re a man or woman, you are at risk of becoming a victim of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is illegal across the United States, and both New Hampshire and Massachusetts have specific laws prohibiting it in the workplace. Sexual harassment, which includes requests for sexual favors, sexual advances, and physical or verbal sexual conduct, are not legal. What’s interesting

When your boss hits on you, it may make you uncomfortable. Constant unwanted flirting often leads to claims of a hostile work environment. When coworkers are the ones flirting, someone can feel unsafe or stressed out while at work. Flirting by someone in the position of authority can sometimes constitute quid pro quo sexual harassment because the victim may feel

Flirting happens in many workplaces, and every worker will handle the situation differently. Some people find it flattering, but others may find it stressful. It can be uncomfortable to realize that someone with supervisory authority over you feels attracted toward you. Unfortunately, some employees find themselves in an awkward position when a manager or supervisor asks them out on a

When you think about harassment in the workplace, does your mind immediately jump to sexual harassment? For many people, that is the reality, because sexual harassment is such a serious problem. Sexual and nonsexual harassment, or general harassment, are different. They are both just as serious, though, since both create a negative work atmosphere and may cause stress, anxiety or

Employers have a duty to ensure that their workplace is free from hostility and harassment. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to implement this in practice. For various reasons, hostility and harassment can go unnoticed for extended periods of time. Not only does a hostile working environment impact the well-being of employees, but it can also potentially decrease the overall