Harassment

Harassment includes unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic — race, sex, religion, national origin, disability — that creates a hostile work environment or results in an adverse employment action. A single severe incident can be enough.

Take every report seriously. Document it immediately, investigate promptly, and take corrective action if warranted. Delayed or ignored reports significantly increase your legal exposure — and courts look at your response, not just the underlying conduct.

In some cases, yes. Managers can be held individually liable under certain state laws, and the employer is always at risk if it knew or should have known about the conduct and failed to act. Training and documentation are your first line of defense.

A written anti-harassment policy, annual training, and a clear reporting process are essential. Without documented proof that employees were trained and knew how to report, you have no baseline to stand on during an investigation.