Legal Guide

Where I Worked in Connecticut, Harassment Was Persistent. Should I file a lawsuit?

All workers in the state of Connecticut should be guaranteed a secure workplace where they can communicate freely without fear of reprisal. In all honesty, that constantly occurs. State and local statutes, as well as federal

There are laws in place to protect employees against harassment on the job, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act.

This begs the question, when exactly can a company be held legally responsible for harassment in the workplace? There are several variables that must be considered. Our Connecticut workplace harassment attorneys wrote this post to inform employees of the key points of employer liability in cases of harassment. Discuss your situation with a certified Connecticut wrongful termination attorney.

In-Depth Analysis of Connecticut's Workplace Harassment Laws and Employer Liability

Harassment is broadly defined as "unwelcome behaviour" by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), but it is only legally punishable when specific criteria are met. The following are the three most important aspects of Connecticut's workplace harassment laws that employees should be aware of:

  • Harassment must relate to a protected trait in order to be unlawful under Title VII and applicable Connecticut state law. Even if you were treated horribly at work, being made to feel unwelcome is not always criminal. To succeed in a claim for harassment in the workplace, an employee must demonstrate that the harassing conduct was motivated by the victim's race, national origin, sex, gender, or handicap.
  • The standard for extreme or pervasive cases: It takes more than just one crass remark to warrant a harassment claim in the workplace. In matters involving sexual harassment in the workplace, the "severe or pervasive" criterion is applied by the courts. An employee has a good chance of winning a harassment claim against an employer if they can show that they were treated in a way that would make a reasonable person feel unsafe or unwelcome and that this behaviour was related to a legally protected feature.
  • Connecticut law imposes a proactive duty on employers to prevent and address unlawful harassment in the workplace. A claim of harassment in the workplace cannot be protected by claiming ignorance. If a business owner, manager, supervisor, employee, or customer engages in harassing conduct at the place of employment, the business may be held accountable for the actions of those individuals.

Claims of workplace harassment are difficult to prove. What constitutes illegal harassment in the workplace depends on the unique circumstances involved.


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