What Is a Hostile Work Environment and How to Solve It

A hostile work environment can be challenging to identify, but the importance of a healthy work environment cannot be overstated—both for individual employees and for a company as a whole. Ignoring a hostile work environment can lead to poor performance among employees, tension and anxiety among coworkers, and potentially even legal repercussions for an employer. Understanding what constitutes a hostile work environment and how it is defined under the law is essential for preventing or fixing a toxic environment.

Legal and HR professionals are integral in maintaining a comfortable workplace for everyone and ensuring equal treatment and legal compliance. Knowing the things that can go wrong will help you find effective solutions to create a balanced, safe workplace and boost employee morale and productivity. This blog post will review how to define and recognize a hostile work environment, including common red flags and root causes, and explore ways to promote a more positive workplace.

In many ways, a hostile work environment may look like bullying or abuse of power. However, not every incident of bullying or abuse of power rises to the level of creating legal liability due to a hostile work environment. A hostile work environment requires severe and pervasive conduct that is unwanted. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the definition of a hostile work environment is a workplace where unwelcome conduct creates an environment that is “intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people.”¹ The conditions that give rise to a hostile work environment must be so severe and so pervasive that they alter the underlying terms and conditions of employment. This atmosphere interferes with job performance and decreases employee satisfaction.

It’s crucial to understand the difference between the definition of a hostile work environment and typical workplace conflict. A hostile work environment exists when workplace conduct, as defined by law, creates unfair treatment that is tied to a protected characteristic.² Common examples include workplace gender discrimination, as well as discrimination based on race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, religious beliefs and more.

Normal workplace conflict can involve a difference in creative opinions, a disagreement over a project deadline or friction between contrasting personalities. Differences of opinion in the workplace do not constitute a hostile work environment unless it is severe and pervasive from the perspective of a reasonable person. Though horseplay or joking may not rise to the level of a hostile work environment, in many circumstances, if these encounters are unwanted and persist despite repeated efforts to stop them, then the conduct might rise to the level of a hostile work environment. In a healthy workplace, all employees respect each other, even if they don’t always see eye to eye.

Understanding what constitutes a hostile work environment is key to preventing or remedying one. Common characteristics and red flags include the following:³

• Repeated harassment on the basis of a protected characteristic
• Discriminatory words or behaviors that are severe and pervasive
• Persistent power imbalances
• Abuse of authority
• Emotional manipulation
• Intimidation tactics
• High turnover among employees
• Consistent aggressiveness
• Ridiculing or victimization
• Excessive complaints
• Constant threats of punishment

Beyond these identifiable factors, there is often an overall feeling of uneasiness when a work environment is hostile. If employees seem on edge or are hesitant to engage, this may be a subtler sign of workplace hostility.

There can be various root causes of a hostile work environment, from weak leadership to inadequate HR policies and trust issues. Hostile work environment claims often arise when there are power imbalances and hierarchies that make working conditions difficult or unpleasant. Knowing the root causes can help you prevent a hostile work environment and create a comfortable atmosphere for all employees.

Leaders can create a hostile work environment if they consistently threaten punishments or termination. Leaders can also contribute to the development of a hostile work environment if they’re absent or lackadaisical, which can lead to a lack of accountability. Without accountability, there may be inconsistent or unfair treatment of employees and a lack of consequences for unacceptable behavior.

Follow-through on HR policies is crucial to maintaining a healthy work environment. HR procedures must be followed every time an issue arises, and HR professionals must be properly trained in handling delicate and serious scenarios.

Some hostile work environments are also created by a toxic overarching company culture, such as one in which gossiping is normalized. Furthermore, if a company’s actions don’t align with its values, employees may feel disillusioned or misled.

How workers interact with each other can foster hostility. For example, constant bullying, gossiping or passive-aggressive behavior can contribute to the development of a hostile work environment. Speaking disparagingly about co-workers, whether in their presence or otherwise, qualifies as hostile behavior.

Hostile environments can create legal liability when these behaviors are linked to discrimination based on race, gender, age, beliefs or other protected characteristics. Stereotyping and microaggressions are common behaviors that create workspaces in which employees may feel unsafe.

Management dynamics can also feel hostile. Hostility can develop when leaders micromanage employees and demonstrate a general lack of trust in them. This can make workers feel disrespected and often leads to burnout.⁴

External factors such as economic stress and industry volatility can create anxiety in the workplace. Workers may be agonizing over potential layoffs, budget cuts and job insecurity, while managers may pressure workers to deliver more in less time and with fewer resources. These tensions can result in fighting or resentment among employees. While these factors can certainly cause stress, shifting blame and putting undue pressure on employees creates hostility. Team members need to feel secure and supported to do their best work.

Another external factor to consider is remote work. A mismanaged remote team may feel isolated or micromanaged, depending on the leadership’s approach. The lack of face-to-face interactions can create misunderstandings, feedback delays and misaligned expectations. Negative sentiments can then fester, straining the supervisor-employee relationship.

A hostile work environment can weaken a company, leading to decreased productivity and innovation, high turnover and a poor reputation.

Employees who don't feel inspired or supported are less likely to reach their potential and seek new solutions that benefit the company. Employee dissatisfaction can also lead to high turnover rates and increased recruitment costs, including frequent training and onboarding, which can reduce productivity.

A hostile work environment can also result in reputational damage and lead people to question whether the company is truly an equal-opportunity employer. Discrimination in the workplace can even lead to legal complications such as lawsuits, which can further erode public trust.⁵

Remedying a hostile environment requires more than surface-level solutions. Leaders set the tone for a workplace, so it’s essential for leadership to take accountability for the office culture and be transparent with employees about decisions and expectations.

Developing inclusive policies that discourage the kind of behavior that leads to a hostile work environment, implementing hostile work environment trainings and enacting company-wide reforms are all excellent starting points for fixing an abusive work environment. Solutions such as these help get everyone on the same page about what is and is not acceptable and help ensure that HR policies are sound, clear and enforced.

HR reform should include whistleblower protections and third-party oversight. Employees should never be afraid to speak up about hostility or inappropriate behavior. When necessary, companies should enlist third-party professionals or organizations to mitigate workplace problems and assess workplace health.⁶

A hostile work environment hinders the well-being of employees and the success of a business. Understanding the definition of a hostile work environment and knowing the key red flags to look out for can help you prevent and remedy toxic atmospheres. If you encounter one, you'll know how to identify the root causes and reshape the company’s culture to fix the problem.

An online Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law from Tulane University can prepare you to assess and remedy hostile work environments to create healthy, productive companies. Our online program will give you the tools and expertise you need to help managers, employees and businesses thrive.

If you’re ready to learn more, review our admissions process, schedule an appointment with our admissions team or contact us today.