What Is Verbal Harassment?

If someone uses words, tone, or language to demean, intimidate, or humiliate another individual, the first person has engaged in verbal harassment. This type of harassment can create a hostile work environment, impact your mental health, and interfere with your ability to perform your job effectively. If you believe that someone in your place of employment—your boss, a coworker, or even a third party—has verbally harassed you, you deserve to know your legal rights and protections.

How Can You Recognize Verbal Harassment?

Verbal harassment can include insults, name-calling, threats, or offensive jokes targeted at an individual or group, and may also involve consistent belittling comments, verbal intimidation, or sarcastic remarks designed to undermine your confidence or capabilities. If someone has repeatedly and knowingly crossed your boundaries with unwelcome comments or language in the workplace, they have likely engaged in verbal harassment.

What Should You Do if You Experience Verbal Harassment?

Document every incident you can, including dates, times, and what was said. Speak to the individual if you feel safe enough to do so, and explain how you feel about their behavior. If they persist despite your requests otherwise, or if you feel unsafe confronting the person, report the behavior to your supervisor or human resources department. Employers bear responsibility for maintaining a safe and respectful workplace.

Why Does Verbal Harassment Create a Hostile Work Environment?

Verbal harassment fosters a toxic workplace culture that affects not only the targeted individual but also the entire team’s morale by increasing stress, promoting anxiety, and decreasing productivity. You may dread coming to work, knowing you will face demeaning comments or hostility. Verbal harassment creates a workplace where respect and collaboration diminish, so employers have a vested interest in preventing such behaviors from escalating.

How Can You Protect Yourself from Verbal Harassment?

Federal and state laws prohibit harassment in the workplace, including verbal forms that contribute to a hostile environment. Your employer must provide a clear avenue for you to report harassment, and they must take immediate action to investigate any claims made.

If you do not feel like your employer has sufficiently supported and protected you from verbal harassment, we strongly recommend you get experienced legal advice to explore your options.

Seeking Recourse for Verbal Harassment with a South Jersey Employment Lawyer at The Law Offices of Leo B. Dubler, III, LLC

Unfortunately, despite clear laws that prohibit harassment and instruct employers to curb it whenever possible, many of our clients have had to deal with verbal abuse on a daily basis. A South Jersey employment lawyer at The Law Offices of Leo B. Dubler, III, LLC has years of experience helping victims of harassment approach their employers, hold the harassers accountable, and assert their rights. Call us at 856-235-7075 or fill out our online contact form for a free consultation. Our office locations in Mount Laurel and Atlantic City, New Jersey, serve clients in Cherry Hill, Burlington County, Camden County, and South Jersey.