With the rise of digital platforms, harassment can now easily occur virtually. While it may seem less obvious, online incidents can also affect your sense of safety at work. Recognizing when online behavior becomes harassment can help you protect yourself and demand accountability in the workplace
What qualifies as workplace harassment?
Both federal and state law prohibit workplace harassment based on protected characteristics such as race, gender, religion or national origin. However, a legal issue may only arise when targeted and repetitive behavior creates a hostile work environment. This means that not all unpleasant behavior counts as harassment. In this case, a sarcastic comment or disagreement with a coworker does not typically qualify.
How online conduct becomes a legal workplace issue
Harassment does not always need to be physical. Verbal comments, emails, and even memes can all qualify. These can appear in the form of:
- Persistent sexual comments in chat messages or emails
- Public shaming or derogatory posts related to your race, gender or religion
- Threatening messages outside of work hours
- Repeated unwelcome attention during virtual meetings
If you encounter any of these actions, your co-worker or company may be held liable.
What if harassment happened off the clock?
Online misconduct can still qualify as a workplace issue even outside of work. Off-duty incidents can spill into your workday and make it difficult to collaborate effectively with your colleagues. If unwelcome conduct by a coworker occurs off the clock and causes you stress or fear, you have the right to address it.
Harassment is not only about when it happens, but also how it interferes with your ability to do your job.
Steps you can take against online harassment at work
If you encounter online harassment, keep documentation of all incidents. This includes emails, messages and screenshots with detailed logs of when they occurred. When reporting the misconduct to your supervisor or the human resources department, request a written confirmation to ensure your complaint is under review.
In some cases, employers may fail to act or even retaliate against you. If this happens, you may consider seeking legal counsel and escalating the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for investigation.