Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson

The decision in Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. 742, 118 S.Ct. 2257, 141 L.ed.2d 633 (1998), set up a framework for employers to avoid liability. An employer can avoid liability for harassment of an employee if the employer has a robust system in place for reporting on-the-job harassment. Once such a reporting

People like to joke about a "hostile work environment."  But, what is an actual hostile work environment?  Essentially, hostile work environment means the discrimination is perpetrated by co-workers, not by supervisors.  A finding of a hostile work environment requires that 1) the employee belong to a protected group, 2) s/he was subjected to unwelcome harassment