We received lots of concerned calls from employees across industries about harassment in the workplace. Unfortunately, it remains a significant concern. While not all harassment is illegal, when it is based on something like age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender, religion, or similar classes, the law prohibits it.
Recognizing the signs of protected class harassment is crucial for fostering a safe and inclusive work environment. Knowing what these signs are can help in early detection and prevention.
What is Iowa Workplace Harassment?
Workplace harassment, according to Iowa law, encompasses unwelcome conduct based on protected characteristics such as race, gender, religion, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
This conduct creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. Harassment can take various forms, including verbal, physical, or visual, and can occur between coworkers, supervisors, or even third parties.
Signs of Workplace Harassment
Workplace harassment can come in the following forms:
- Verbal Abuse: This form of harassment involves the consistent use of derogatory remarks, slurs, or offensive jokes directed at an individual based on their protected characteristics. It can manifest in various ways, including racial epithets, sexist comments, or derogatory remarks about a person’s age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation. Verbal abuse creates a hostile work environment and can have a detrimental impact on an employee’s mental and emotional well-being.
- Unwanted Advances: Sexual harassment is a pervasive form of workplace harassment that involves unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. It may include inappropriate comments, gestures, or physical contact that makes the recipient feel uncomfortable or threatened. Unwanted advances can create a toxic work environment and may lead to feelings of fear, anxiety, or embarrassment for the victim.
- Intimidation: Intimidation tactics are often used by perpetrators of harassment to exert control or power over their targets. This can include threats of violence, coercion, or blackmail intended to intimidate or manipulate an employee into compliance.
- Exclusion: Another subtle form of workplace harassment is exclusion, which involves deliberately isolating or excluding an individual from work-related activities or opportunities based on their protected characteristics. This could include excluding someone from meetings, social events, or professional development opportunities based on their race, gender, age, or other protected characteristics.
- Retaliation: Retaliation occurs when an employer or coworker takes punitive actions against an employee for reporting harassment or participating in an investigation. Retaliation in the workplace can surface with things like demotion, reassignment, termination, or other adverse employment actions taken in response to the employee’s protected activity.
Steps to Address Workplace Harassment
Although Iowa is an “at-will” employment state, if you have been harassed because of your membership in a protected class, you have rights.
We recommend taking the following steps in order to protect yourself:
- Document Incidents: Keep detailed records of harassing behavior, including dates, times, witnesses, and any communication or evidence. Iowa is a one-party state when it comes to recording conversations, so you are legally allowed to use your phone to record a conversation if you think it would be helpful for your harassment claim.
- Report to HR or Management: Report harassment to the appropriate authorities within your organization. Many companies will have policies in their handbook related to workplace harassment. It’s important to follow those procedures as closely as you can.
- Seek Legal Advice: Consult with an experienced employment lawyer in Iowa to understand your rights and explore legal options.
It’s never a bad idea to speak with an employment attorney when facing potential harassment in the workplace. An attorney can advise you of your rights and inform you of any deadlines that you can’t miss.
If you believe you’ve experienced workplace harassment in Iowa because you are a member of a protected class, we may be able to help. RSH Legal offers free, no-obligation case evaluations for Iowans who have been harassed in the workplace. To schedule yours, call 1-800-433-0283 today.
