Workplace harassment remains one of the most urgent, costly, and misunderstood problems facing employers today, even though remote and hybrid work arrangements were once expected to make it fade away. Instead, the shift to virtual offices has done the opposite: it has opened new channels for intimidation, discrimination, and abuse that many leaders are only now learning to recognize. In our previous Soteria article, James walked through the legal history behind employee harassment protections. Building on that foundation, this guide goes further, covering the latest data, every major type of workplace harassment, the warning signs leaders miss, and the concrete steps employers and employees must take right now.
What Is Workplace Harassment? A Clear, Working Definition
At its core, workplace harassment is unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic — such as race, sex, age, disability, or religion — that is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, harassment becomes unlawful when enduring it becomes a condition of continued employment, or when the conduct is severe enough that a reasonable person would find the environment abusive. Legal scholars generally split workplace harassment into two categories: hostile work environment harassment, where ongoing behavior poisons the atmosphere, and quid pro quo harassment, where a benefit (like a promotion) is tied to tolerating unwanted conduct. For a broader overview of how this concept has evolved, see Wikipedia’s summary of workplace harassment. However, understanding the legal definition is only the starting point — employers also need to understand why rates of harassment in the workplace have climbed so sharply in recent years.
Why Workplace Harassment Is Surging in the Remote and Hybrid Era
Given the rise of remote and hybrid work, you might assume workplace harassment would decline. Unfortunately, the opposite has happened. The pandemic created — and continues to fuel — critical, intensive, and urgent workplace issues, and harassment sits near the top of that list.
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According to Pew Research, 57%1 of employees who quit during the Great Resignation did so because they felt disrespected. On the spectrum of bad behavior, harassment is far worse than disrespect.
Feeling disrespected might mean an employee feels undervalued or has a manager who will not listen. In contrast, harassment involves aggressive pressure, intimidation, or targeted abuse. Nearly 3 in 4 sexual harassment claims in the workplace go unreported2, which means the true scale of the problem is almost certainly larger than official figures suggest. As a result, it seems very likely that unreported harassment is one of the hidden variables fueling the Great Resignation.
The 7 Types of Workplace Harassment Every Employer Must Recognize
No employer wants to be accused of allowing harassment in the workplace, but every employer still needs to be armed with knowledge about what it actually looks like. Harassment is not a single behavior — it is an umbrella term that covers at least seven distinct patterns of misconduct.
1. Physical Harassment
This includes unwanted touching, blocking someone’s movement, throwing objects, or any physical intimidation. Even conduct that never escalates to actual contact — such as standing uncomfortably close or making threatening gestures — can qualify as physical harassment if it is intended to intimidate.
2. Personal (Verbal) Harassment
Personal harassment targets an individual rather than a protected class. Examples include name-calling, humiliating jokes, spreading rumors, or repeatedly belittling someone’s work in front of colleagues. Because it is not always tied to a legally protected characteristic, it can be harder to prove — but it is no less damaging to morale.
3. Discriminatory Harassment
This form of workplace harassment targets race, gender, age, religion, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation. It can be overt, such as slurs, or subtle, such as consistently excluding someone from meetings because of their background. Either way, it is explicitly illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
4. Psychological Harassment
Sometimes called “mobbing” or workplace bullying, psychological harassment involves sustained intimidation, gaslighting, public humiliation, or deliberate exclusion. Specifically, it chips away at an employee’s confidence and mental health over time, often leading directly into burnout. If your organization is already seeing signs of exhaustion and disengagement, our guide on what you can do to stop employee burnout is a useful next step.
5. Cyberbullying and Digital Harassment
With teams scattered across home offices, harassment has followed employees onto email, Slack, video calls, and text messages. Unwanted messages, inappropriate images shared in group chats, and hostile comments typed during virtual meetings all count as digital workplace harassment — and they are often easier to hide from HR than in-person incidents.
6. Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment covers unwelcome sexual advances, requests for favors, inappropriate comments about appearance, or the display of sexually explicit material. It remains one of the most reported — and most underreported — categories of workplace harassment, which is why clear reporting channels matter so much.
7. Third-Party Harassment
Harassment does not always come from a coworker or manager. Suppliers, vendors, contractors, and even customers can create a hostile environment. Employers are still responsible for protecting staff from this type of workplace harassment, even though the harasser is not technically an employee.
Frightening Figures: The Latest Workplace Harassment Statistics
Reports throughout 2021 and beyond show that workers have experienced sharp increases in harassment based on gender, age, race, and ethnicity while working remotely. The numbers below illustrate just how widespread the problem has become.
- The Purple Campaign: over one in four respondents experienced unwelcome sexual behavior online since the start of the health crisis, either via videoconferencing, email, or text messages.3
- Deloitte Global: 52% of women reported experiencing some form of harassment or microaggressions within the past year.4
- Project Include: 25% of tech-industry respondents said they experienced an increase in gender-based harassment during the pandemic, 10% reported a rise in race- or ethnicity-related hostility, and 23% of those 50 and older reported increased age-related abuse.5
- AllVoices: 34% of workers have left a job because of unresolved harassment issues, and 38% are experiencing harassment remotely through email, video conferencing, chat apps, or phone calls.6
How Is This Happening? The Hidden Drivers Behind Remote Workplace Harassment
The increase in harassment is partly driven by the perceived informality of remote work, which leads some people to say or do things they would never attempt in person. In addition, the lack of witnesses, combined with unmonitored platforms, can embolden harassers and place already-vulnerable employees at greater risk than usual.
Furthermore, widespread mental health strain has made people more anxious and, in some cases, more reactive. Pandemic stress, political division, and global conflict have all added pressure to an already fragile workplace dynamic — and that pressure often surfaces as harassment in the workplace rather than being resolved constructively. If unresolved tension is a recurring issue on your team, our workplace conflict resolution strategies guide offers practical de-escalation techniques.
Warning Signs of Workplace Harassment You Shouldn’t Ignore
Workplace harassment rarely announces itself. Instead, it tends to show up as a pattern of smaller behavioral shifts that managers and HR teams can learn to spot early.
- A previously engaged employee suddenly becomes withdrawn, quiet, or avoids certain meetings and colleagues.
- Unexplained spikes in absenteeism, tardiness, or requests for schedule changes.
- A noticeable drop in performance or productivity without any other obvious cause.
- Visible anxiety before one-on-ones, video calls, or interactions with a specific coworker.
- Increased use of sick days or sudden resignation requests with vague explanations.
Above all, these signs should prompt a private, judgment-free conversation rather than assumptions. Early intervention is almost always less costly — financially and culturally — than waiting for a formal complaint.
How to Report Workplace Harassment: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you believe you are experiencing workplace harassment, acting quickly and methodically protects both your well-being and your legal rights. Employees seeking additional support may also find value in our HR advice for employees resource.
- Document every incident immediately. Record the date, time, location, exact words or actions, and any witnesses present, and save relevant emails, messages, or screenshots as evidence.
- Review your company’s harassment policy. Locate the official reporting chain in your employee handbook so you know exactly who to contact and what the expected process looks like.
- Submit a written report to HR or a designated officer. Putting your complaint in writing creates a clear, time-stamped record that cannot later be disputed or forgotten.
- Cooperate fully with the internal investigation. Provide additional details or evidence promptly when asked, and keep a personal log of every follow-up conversation and outcome.
- Escalate externally if the issue remains unresolved. File a formal charge with the EEOC or your state fair employment agency if your employer fails to take appropriate corrective action.
How Employers Can Prevent Workplace Harassment
Outsourcing human resources can significantly help address workplace harassment, along with many other business concerns. An experienced HR partner can take a fresh look at the corporate culture and hierarchy that may be fostering unwanted behavior, then help set up your workforce for long-term success. For a deeper walkthrough, see our How to Master Workforce Planning for Small Business in 2025.
Standards to prevent remote work harassment
Though the line between home and work has blurred, remind employees to bring their most professional selves to virtual settings. Standards of conduct during remote work are no less important than those required in person. Consider setting a dress code for video meetings and requiring a standard virtual background — featuring your company logo — to protect employee privacy while reinforcing professionalism.
Distribute Policy Reminders
Regularly remind employees of your policies prohibiting sexual harassment and other forms of workplace harassment, and make sure everyone knows exactly how to report misconduct. Ensure your expectations regarding electronic communications are explicit. If your business has not already done so, adopt a clear policy prohibiting the sharing of sexually suggestive or explicit content on company devices and communication channels.
Train Employees and Managers
Provide training that helps employees identify and report online harassment, teaches bystanders how to safely intervene, and reminds everyone that retaliation for reporting alleged harassment or participating in an investigation is illegal. Keep in mind that different states impose different minimum training requirements, so verify your obligations regularly.
Take Action
Take immediate action the moment you receive a complaint about any form of harassment. Protect the complainant from further harm, document every step of the response, and consult legal counsel to ensure the investigation meets all applicable standards.
The Legal Consequences of Ignoring Workplace Harassment
Employers who ignore reports of workplace harassment expose themselves to serious legal and financial risk. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employees can file complaints with the EEOC, which may lead to mediation, settlements, or litigation. Consequently, many states also impose their own, often stricter, harassment statutes and mandatory training requirements. Beyond the legal exposure, unresolved harassment drives turnover, damages employer brand, and erodes the trust needed for a productive workplace culture.
Why Partnering With an HR Expert Stops Workplace Harassment Before It Starts
Preventing workplace harassment is rarely something a single internal team can manage alone, especially in a hybrid environment where behavior spans video calls, chat apps, and in-person interactions simultaneously. A dedicated HR partner brings policy expertise, investigation experience, and an outside perspective that helps uncover blind spots in your current culture. In particular, proactive HR support reduces legal exposure while making employees feel genuinely protected rather than merely compliant.
Reach out to Soteria HR regarding any of your workplace harassment prevention, policy, or training needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Workplace Harassment
What qualifies as workplace harassment under the law?
Workplace harassment qualifies as unlawful when unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment, or when enduring it becomes a condition of keeping your job.
Is yelling at an employee considered workplace harassment?
Occasional frustration on its own usually does not meet the legal bar. However, repeated yelling, especially when tied to a protected characteristic or combined with intimidation, can escalate into psychological or personal harassment.
What should I do if I’m experiencing workplace harassment right now?
Document everything immediately, review your company’s reporting policy, and submit a written complaint to HR. If the behavior continues or your employer fails to act, you can escalate to the EEOC or a state agency.
Can an employer be held liable for third-party workplace harassment?
Yes. Employers are generally responsible for protecting employees from harassment committed by vendors, suppliers, or customers, provided the employer knew or should have known about the conduct and failed to act.
Does workplace harassment training actually reduce incidents?
Effective, interactive training — especially bystander intervention training — has been shown to improve reporting rates and shift workplace norms. Simply put, training works best when it is reinforced consistently, not delivered once and forgotten.
Conclusion: Taking a Stand Against Workplace Harassment
Workplace harassment has not disappeared with remote work — if anything, it has found new channels to thrive in. Therefore, employers who understand the seven types of harassment, recognize the early warning signs, and build clear reporting and training systems will be far better positioned to protect their people and their business. Above all, stopping workplace harassment requires consistent action, not a one-time policy update. Reach out to Soteria HR today to build a prevention strategy that actually works.
Sources:
2 https://inspiredelearning.com/hr-blog/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-statistics
3 https://www.purplecampaign.org
5 https://projectinclude.org/assets/pdf/Project-Include-Harassment-Report-0321-F3.pdf
6 https://www.allvoices.co/hr-blog/the-state-of-workplace-harassment-2021
