This lesson provides criteria to separate prohibited conduct from actions that may be misguided yet not violative.
Distinguishing Prohibited Conduct from Legitimate Business Needs
This lesson provides criteria to separate prohibited conduct from actions that may be misguided yet not violative.

Distinguishing prohibited conduct from legitimate business needs

Policies require evaluating the purpose and impact of a behavior before labeling it harassment.

Consider context, relationship, power dynamics, and whether the action is intended to harass or is a poorly timed joke or instruction.

  • Is the conduct based on a protected characteristic?
  • Does it create a hostile environment or hinder work?
  • Would a reasonable person perceive it as harassment?