In workplaces in Maryland, the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act (MFEPA) and federal law prohibit discrimination and harassment in the workplace based on protected characteristics. These laws establish the legal foundation for addressing hostile work environments. A local attorney in Maryland would be able to provide more information.
Specifically, the MFEPA and federal law both make it illegal for an employer to discriminate against employees on the basis of the following characteristics:
- Race;
- Gender;
- Pregnancy status;
- National origin;
- Age;
- Disability;
- A history of military service;
- Current enrollment in the military;
- Religion;
- Genetic Information.
In general, a successful hostile work environment lawsuit claiming workplace discrimination or harassment may include the allegation that the employee experienced a specific adverse employment action. “Adverse employment” actions are any instances in which a person experiences a negative consequence in connection with their employment.
The employer might deny the person a promotion that they have earned. The employer might deny the person some type of advantageous job assignment. The employer might wrongfully terminate the person. The harassment might even be physical.
If an employee receives negative treatment from an employer and the motivation for the treatment is an intent to discriminate, the employee has a potential workplace discrimination claim. The employer is automatically liable. The person would pursue relief by first filing a discrimination claim with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
It is critical that the employee first reports the harassment to their employer. Again, only if the employer fails to act would a person file a claim with the EEOC.
Federal and Maryland’s laws also prohibit harassment against employees done to retaliate against them because they filed a hostile work environment complaint.
What Is a Hostile Work Environment?
A person would succeed with a hostile work environment lawsuit if they can prove all of the following elements:
- Protected Groups or Adverse Employment Outcomes: The first element is that the harassing conduct is related to the employee’s membership in a protected class. The protected classes are noted above.
- If an employee experiences adverse treatment in connection with their employment because of discrimination, the employer is automatically liable for harassment. “Adverse treatment” means a negative employment outcome, such as firing, a lay-off, lack of promotion, or the denial of an advantageous job assignment. But a person may still complain about a hostile work environment even if they do not experience adverse treatment;
- Harassment: The conduct that a person experiences in a hostile work environment must be serious enough to qualify as harassment. Harassment can be either verbal or physical. It might be sexual harassment.
Harassing conduct must relate to the employee’s membership in a protected class. Conduct that qualifies as harassment would be such conduct as another employee repeatedly making comments to the effect that a person’s national origin means they are incompetent or in some other way creating a toxic work environment for the employee;
- Pervasiveness: The harassment must be pervasive, meaning that it occurs throughout the employer organization. It may also mean that the conduct has persisted for a long period of time. One single instance of harassment is not enough to be pervasive. Rather, an offensive comment or other actions must be repeated frequently over a period of weeks or months;
- Severity: The harassing behavior must be severe. It must be something more than occasional rudeness or tasteless joking. Instead, the behavior should be intimidating, offensive, or abusive. For example, if a co-worker teases or ridicules an employee, they must do it with such frequency that it is unrelenting.
- A test the courts apply would be whether the conduct is so severe that it interferes with the employee’s ability to do their job. Courts apply the “reasonable person” test, which asks whether a reasonable person would characterize the behavior as abusive or intimidating and how a “reasonable person would probably react if subjected to the same circumstances;
- Knowledge or Intent: Finally, it must be the case that the employer knew, or should have known, about the harassing behavior. This may be easier to prove if the harasser is
in a supervisory position. If the harasser is a co-worker, the employee making a claim must prove that the employer was aware of the harassment and also did nothing to put an end to it.
All of these elements must be proven if a person’s hostile work environment claim is to succeed. A person would want to consult with an attorney to discuss their situation and whether it rises to the level of harassment as defined above.
Also, if at any time, harassing conduct amounts to criminal conduct or it makes the victim fear for their safety or their life, they should call the police immediately to report the incident. Then a copy of the police report should be given to the employer. A person should also keep a copy in their records for future use.
When Should I File My Claim for a Hostile Work Environment?
A person has a limited time within which to file a hostile work environment claim. According to the EEOC, a person should submit their claim within 180 days from the date of the discrimination or the last incident of harassment. If a person’s state law also prohibits discrimination on the same basis, the deadline extends to 300 days.
A person should talk to a local attorney in Maryland about how to deal with a hostile work environment and when and how to submit a claim. A person should do this promptly when they believe they are working in a hostile work environment so as not to miss any deadlines for taking action. An attorney would also be able to help a person collect the evidence they need to succeed.
How Do I Prove a Hostile Work Environment?
A person has to be prepared to produce evidence that their workplace is, or was if they no longer work there, toxic or hostile. As noted above, a person would want to record the incidents of harassment or discrimination as they occur. They would want to collect records of communications, e.g., phone messages, text messages, emails, and the like, that show evidence of the hostile conduct.
A person should keep a journal in which they record events of which there may be no other evidence. They may want to note the names of other people who might be witnesses.
If a person wants to take legal action for their workplace distress, they must be able to prove their claims. A person must prove the following elements of a hostile work environment:
- They were harassed or discriminated against because of their gender, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, or other characteristic;
- The treatment was not welcome;
- The behavior went on consistently for a long period of time;
- The person reported the harassment or discrimination to their boss or HR, but the employer did not take action to stop it.
Again, a person would also want to prove that they reported the situation to their employer and that the employer did not try to alleviate the situation.
In addition to the elements of their claim, a person would have to prove the facts that would entitle them to the remedy they seek, e.g., that they suffered economic loss.
What Types of Remedies Are Available for a Hostile Work Environment Claim?
The remedies that an employee can win for a hostile work environment claim may vary depending on the particular law that applies to their cases. Generally, however, remedies for Maryland employees who are victims of hostile work environments are as follows:
- Injunctive relief, which would be an order requiring the employer to take some action to alleviate the situation and prevent future harassment;
- Compensatory damages to compensate the employee for their economic losses;
- Attorneys’ fees and court costs; and,
- In some cases, the facts justify it, such as punitive damages.
Federal law requires a victim to prove that the employer showed “malice” or “reckless indifference” to justify an award of punitive damages. .
Federal law places limits or caps on the value of punitive damages that an employee may recover. The federal limits on damages are different for different employers. Under federal law, the limits range from $50,000 for small employers to $300,000 for large employers.
Do I Need a Maryland Lawyer for a Hostile Work Environment Lawsuit?
If you believe that you work in a hostile environment, you want to consult a Maryland harassment lawyer. At LegalMatch.com, your lawyer will review the facts of your case, help protect your rights, and get you the remedy you deserve. Your attorney can guide you through the legal process from start to finish.
