Closely related to the right to be free of employment discrimination, the right to be free from harassment depends in large part on an employee's membership in one or more minority categories. Not all harassment is against the law; for example, there is no law against being an all-around jerk to one's coworkers. Racial harassment, a form of race discrimination, is against the law, though - an employer that does nothing to end racial harassment risks being held liable for such conduct by the EEOC or a court. Sexual harassment is against the law because it is a form of sex discrimination. In addition, if an act of sexual harassment involves unwelcome touching, that act can also result in an assault and battery charge against the one who did the touching, and employers have been sued before in civil court for assault and battery committed by their employees if they did nothing to stop or prevent such actions. Religious harassment is a form of discrimination based on religion. Any employer with any sense at all will prohibit any and all forms of harassment, regardless of whether a law covers such conduct.

Copyright 2000-2008. Texas Employees Association All rights reserved.