Harassment in the workplace is a sad reality that can take many forms. There are many different types of workplace harassment, and everyone has their own interpretations. Even the best HR professionals could miss signs of harassment when they happen in a subtle form. The federal government has deemed any form of harassment unlawful in the workplace. 

If you are a victim of workplace harassment, you should report it to your employer as soon as possible. In some cases, what you might consider offensive may not be harassment for the person doing it. To protect your rights, you should speak to a lawyer for workplace problems in Ontario. 

Lesser-known forms of harassment at the workplace 

• Age-based harassment. 

Race, gender, or religious harassment is often seen and recognized in the workplace, but one which is ignored is age-based harassment. Many people have a bias against older people, which is why the government has introduced the Age Discrimination in Employment Act to protect people over 40. This ensures that people above 40 are hired for the jobs they deserve without discrimination or harassment. 

• Verbal or written harassment. 

Harassment is often more recognized when it takes the physical form, but verbal or written things can equally be disturbing. In fact, verbal and written communication is one of the most common forms of harassment in the workplace. Some instances include: 

• Making negative or derogatory comments about someone’s age, gender, religious faith, or some other personal characteristic. 
• Imitating someone’s foreign accent because they think it is “funny.” 
• Sending or discussing offensive jokes about someone’s religion or ethnicity. 

• Psychological harassment. 

Psychological harassment is one of the rarely recognized forms of harassment and happens so subtly that it becomes impossible to tell whether the person is genuine or trying to cause trouble. It refers to improper, systematic, and repetitive conduct over a long period, which stresses out a person and may cause anxiety and depression. 

• Personal harassment. 

Personal harassment is not based on any of the protected classes, such as gender, religion, race, ability, etc. It targets a specific person and their appearance, work skills, or personality. It is often one person’s hostility towards another, also called bullying. While it is not technically illegal, it is still unacceptable workplace behavior. If it causes undue stress to the victim to the point where they do not want to come to work, they can file a legal claim.