In this article
What is harassment?
Harassment is when someone’s behaviour violates your dignity, whether it was intentional or not, and often results in you feeling humiliated or intimidated. In instances of workplace harassment, the behaviour commonly makes the working environment feel very hostile and unwelcoming for the victim.
However, if you’re a victim, you’re not to worry as the Equality Act 2010 protects anyone with a protected characteristic that is facing harassment.
What classes as harassment?
Harassment comes in various forms, some of which include:
- Spoken or written words of abuse
- Inappropriate jokes
- Offensive messages online, for example,
- through emails or social media sites.
- Abusive images
- Physical gestures
- Physical contact
Commonly people who are a victim, report feeling frightened, humiliated and disrespected by the behaviour they have faced.
Talk to us now. Save costs further down the line.
Save yourself potentially thousands of pounds by seeking advice now. Speak to us today for more information.
Lines open 24/7
020 3007 5500
When does harassment become unlawful discrimination?
Harassment is unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 when somebody becomes a victim because of one of the following characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Sex
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
For more information, visit our protected characteristics blog.
Examples of harassment.
Example 1: Julie is six months pregnant and is going to the kitchen at work to get her food out of the fridge. When Julie reaches to get her food, a fellow employee comments regarding her not needing any more food due to her stomach. In this instance, this is discriminatory harassment because of Julie’s pregnancy.
Example 2: Harry is thinking about undergoing gender reassignment surgery. Once another staff member at work finds out, they edit a photo of harry as a woman and email the image to other employee’s. In this circumstance, this is considered harassment discrimination because of Harry’s potential gender reassignment.
Example 3: Sarah is a devout Christian and sat through a meeting where a fellow employee aggressively voiced their anti-religious views. As a result, Sarah felt seriously offended during the meeting. In this instance, the harassment is discriminatory because of Sarah’s religion. Although it may have been unintended, it’s still unlawful.
What should I do if I’m a victim of harassment?
If you have read this article and feel as though you’re a victim of harassment, don’t worry, you have three options to resolve your problem, which are:
- Raise the issue with the perpetrator or somebody senior in your company. In an instance where you feel the behaviour is unintentional, it may be beneficial to talk with your fellow employee. However, suppose the problem is more serious, it may be worth raising a formal grievance with someone more senior in the company.
- Seek forms of alternative dispute resolution to resolve your case outside of court.
- Approach a solicitor to construct a case to make a harassment claim in the civil court or at the employment tribunal.
How can Britton and Time Solicitors help?
If you’re facing any form of harassment, make sure you get the justice you deserve. Instructing one of our award-winning solicitors will guarantee you:
- A fair resolution to your case.
- Clear guidance on your position and available options.
- Expertise in dealing with complex discrimination matters.
- Award-winning service.
For more information, please visit our discrimination page. To contact us directly, send us an email via [email protected] or call one of our solicitors on 020 3007 5500.
0 Comments