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Hostile Work Environment

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khryssalis

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Colorado

For the past seven years I have been employed as the Communications Supervisor for my local Police Department. I am the only female employee on the entire staff.

For the duration of my employment, I have been belittled, ridiculed, disrespected, complained against, and written up by one supervisor in the Department. It has now come to the point that I am in danger of losing my employment due to the unending, and highly illegal, complaints and write up's and suspensions that I have endured.

What in the heck am I supposed to do? Where do I go? If anyone has any advice, I am in desperate need of such.

Thank You.

Khryssalis
 


mlane58

Senior Member
khryssalis said:
What is the name of your state? Colorado

For the past seven years I have been employed as the Communications Supervisor for my local Police Department. I am the only female employee on the entire staff.

For the duration of my employment, I have been belittled, ridiculed, disrespected, complained against, and written up by one supervisor in the Department. It has now come to the point that I am in danger of losing my employment due to the unending, and highly illegal, complaints and write up's and suspensions that I have endured.

What in the heck am I supposed to do? Where do I go? If anyone has any advice, I am in desperate need of such.

Thank You.

Khryssalis
Your post doesn't come close to the legal definition of a hostile work enviroment.

a ''hostile work environment" occurs when the conduct of one or more individuals creates a hostile or abusive work environment for one or more employees based upon their membership in a protected class. Employees who are not members of a protected class cannot be victims of a ''hostile work environment." Likewise, an employee belonging to a protected class who is treated unfavorably at work for reasons not related to his or her protected class status is not a victim of a ''hostile work environment." Much to the disappointment and genuine surprise of many an employee, there is presently no law against mean bosses, or even bosses who single out certain employees for particularly bad treatment, so long as the bad treatment is not discriminatory, i.e., based upon or due to the employee's membership in a protected class.
 

khryssalis

Junior Member
Well, I am quite surprised. I thought that perhaps being a woman and told that "law enforcement is no place for a woman" and run out of the department for being the only female would constitute a hostile work environment.

I thought that getting written up for supposed "infractions" of policy, suspended for the infraction, brought back into the workplace only to sign the newly written policy which I had broken into existence as it was not previously so would qualify.

I thought that being a "supervisor" myself yet not consulted, spoken to or involved in ANY changes in the field in which I hold that title; my underworker, a male, instead being consulted for his advice and input would constitute something beyond just a regular "mean boss" scenario.

My apologies, I did not mean to cause an issue nor complain unduly, nor was it my intent to annoy.
 

mlane58

Senior Member
Don't cop an attitude. Your title stated Hostile Work Enviroment and nothing in your post came remotely close to it.
I thought that perhaps being a woman and told that "law enforcement is no place for a woman" and run out of the department for being the only female would constitute a hostile work environment.
One comment doesn't consititue breaking the law and you haven't provided any details to show you were driven out for being a woman.
I thought that getting written up for supposed "infractions" of policy, suspended for the infraction, brought back into the workplace only to sign the newly written policy which I had broken into existence as it was not previously so would qualify.
Nothing there that breaks any law
I thought that being a "supervisor" myself yet not consulted, spoken to or involved in ANY changes in the field in which I hold that title; my underworker, a male, instead being consulted for his advice and input would constitute something beyond just a regular "mean boss" scenario.
Again, nothing there that breaks any laws

Sorry you didn't like tha answer, but if you were looking for an answer that supports how you feel, you won't find it here or anywhere else.
 

mitousmom

Member
Those who respond here do so based on the information that you provide. The more facts you provide, rather than labels such as 'hostile work environment', the better the responses you will receive.

The federal anti-discrimination laws prohibit employers from treating employees differently based on sex, race, religion, national origin, color, age or disability. Nothing in your original post suggested that you believed that any of those factors were involved in your treatment.

The most common way to address whether discrimination is likely, is to compare your treatment to someone similarly situated, but not of your protected group. If you think management is discriminating against you because of your sex, you need to examine how it treats male employees, particularly male supervisors.

Hostile work environment has a precise meaning in equal employment law. I agree with mlane58's description - except for the statement Employees who are not members of a protected class cannot be victims of a ''hostile work environment" because I'm not sure what s/he means. Nonetheless, if that one supervisor is belittling, ridiculing, disrespecting, complaining against you because of your sex and his treatment is egregious or pervasive, it would rise to the level of illegal harassment based on sex. If he disciplines you (writing you up or firing you) because of your sex, it would be simply discrimination based on sex.

I suggest you contact EEOC or your state human rights agency. Either should be able to elicit from you the information needed to determine whether your situation warrants their action. EEOC has a toll free number, 1-800-669-4000, and a website, www.eeoc.gov.
 
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mlane58

Senior Member
mitousmom said:
I agree with mlane58's description - except for the statement Employees who are not members of a protected class cannot be victims of a ''hostile work environment" because I'm not sure what s/he means.
What is it about a protected class that you don't get? gender, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, etc.... I answered the OP with correct and easy to understand information.
 

mitousmom

Member
I was confused because technically everyone is a member of a protected group (race, sex, religion, national origin, color). Some believe that a person who is not a member of the group on which the harassment is based can't suffer hostile work environment discrimination. For example, a non-black employee can suffer illegal hostile work environment discrimination by the pervasive use of racially derogatory comments or epithets directed at black employees. The non-black can file a charge of discrimination and can prevail.
 

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