• About R & M
    ▼
    • Matthew Ian Marks
    • Thomas Anthony Ricotta
  • Practice Areas
    ▼
    • Sexual Harassment
      ▼
      • Hostile Work Environment
      • Workplace Retaliation
    • Employer Discrimination
      ▼
      • Age Discrimination
      • Criminal Record Discrimination
      • Disability Discrimination
      • FMLA Violations
      • Gender Discrimination
      • Transgender Discrimination
      • Marital Status Discrimination
      • National Origin Discrimination
      • Pregnancy Discrimination
      • Race Discrimination
      • Religious Discrimination
      • Sexual Orientation Discrimination
      • Wrongful Termination
    • Education Law
      ▼
      • 3020a Hearings
    • More Practice Areas
      ▼
      • Employment Contracts
      • Labor and Unions
      • Mediation & Arbitration
      • Wage and Hour Disputes
      • Employer Defense
  • Resources
    ▼
    • FAQs
    • Client Testimonials
    • Employment Law Blog
  • Contact
    ▼
    • Queens Law Office
    • Long Island Law Office
    • R&M Careers
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ricotta & Marks, P.C.

Employment Discrimination Lawyers

Google Reviews 5 Stars
  • About R & M
    • Matthew Ian Marks
    • Thomas Anthony Ricotta
  • Practice Areas
    • Sexual Harassment
      • Hostile Work Environment
      • Workplace Retaliation
    • Employer Discrimination
      • Age Discrimination
      • Criminal Record Discrimination
      • Disability Discrimination
      • FMLA Violations
      • Gender Discrimination
      • Transgender Discrimination
      • Marital Status Discrimination
      • National Origin Discrimination
      • Pregnancy Discrimination
      • Race Discrimination
      • Religious Discrimination
      • Sexual Orientation Discrimination
      • Wrongful Termination
    • Education Law
      • 3020a Hearings
    • More Practice Areas
      • Employment Contracts
      • Labor and Unions
      • Mediation & Arbitration
      • Wage and Hour Disputes
      • Employer Defense
  • Resources
    • FAQs
    • Client Testimonials
    • Employment Law Blog
  • Contact
    • Queens Law Office
    • Long Island Law Office
    • R&M Careers

347.464.8694
free consultation
free consultation

Is Workplace Bullying Illegal?

Home Blog Is Workplace Bullying Illegal?

By Thomas Ricotta on June 28th, 2019 in Workplace Discrimination

When you think of bullying, you may think of kids in middle school or high school. Unfortunately, bullying is a behavior that can continue well into adulthood. In fact, bullying is a huge problem in workplaces across the country—so much that legislators are creating laws to combat the issue.

Bullying is often based on discrimination and can impact an employee in numerous ways. It can cause so much mental harm that a person may have to quit his or her job in order to avoid the abuse.

What Does Bullying in the Workplace Entail?

 Bullying can involve verbal abuse, offensive conduct and behaviors and work interference. Some examples include the following:

  • Spreading gossip or rumors
  • Socially isolating a person
  • Making offensive jokes
  • Not giving an employee necessary information or providing the wrong information
  • Use of profanity
  • Physical abuse
  • Undeserved punishment
  • Belittling a person
  • Invading a person’s privacy
  • Assignment of unreasonable work duties
  • Tampering with a person’s belongings

It is believed that as many as 21% of employees suffer from the effects of workplace bullying. The effects may include stress, anxiety, depression, humiliation, sleep loss, hypertension, and increased risk of developing diseases and infections.

What Does the Law Say?

Several states are starting to take notice of the effects of workplace bullying. California, Utah, and Tennessee have laws in place related to bullying. New York, Florida, Illinois, and Connecticut have versions of the Healthy Workplace Bill in place. The Healthy Workplace Bill allows workers who have experienced workplace bullying to take action against their employers.

As an affected worker, you have the right to:

  • Sue the individual bully for causing you harm.
  • Hold the employer accountable.
  • Seek compensation for damages such as lost wages and benefits.

The law helps employers, as well. It defines an abusive work environment, with high standards in place. It requires proof of harm by a licensed health or mental health professional, so not everyone who simply claims misconduct can receive compensation from their employer. Through the bill, employers have a valid reason to punish or terminate offenders. They will not face wrongful termination charges.

In some cases, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 may also apply. This is because workplace bullying is often caused by discrimination. For example, it is not uncommon for employees to be harassed based on their age, gender, race, or disability. If the workplace bullying is based on a protected class under the law, such as age, disability, pregnancy, gender, or religion, then the affected employee may have rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well.

Contact a New York Employment Discrimination Lawyer

 Bullying is not something that ends in high school. Adults in the workplace can bully co-workers, causing extreme emotional harm. This bullying is often based on discrimination, which is illegal.

Are you facing bullying in the workplace? If so, the skilled employment discrimination attorneys at Ricotta & Marks, P.C. can help. We can help you so you no longer have to work in a hostile environment. To schedule a consultation, Call our office today at (347) 464-8694 for a consultation.

Primary Sidebar

Schedule Your Free Consultation

  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Ricotta & Marks, P.C.

Queens Law Office:
24-11 41st Avenue, Second Floor
Long Island City, NY 11101
Long Island Law Office:
2174 Jackson Avenue
Seaford, NY 11783
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 Ricotta & Marks, P.C.
Disclaimer Privacy Policy