A hostile workplace environment prevents you from doing your job duties reasonably. In this scenario, a boss or co-worker creates an environment that is counterproductive due to his behavior and actions.
Generally, these behaviours must be discriminatory in nature and are not just a result of rude or boorish behaviour.
Certain class status conditions are legally protected in the workplace, such as gender, sexual orientation, race, religion or disability.
The hostile workplace environment must relate to one or more of those protected classes. For example, a co-worker who constantly sabotages another’s work because of gender is creating a hostile environment, as is the co-worker who uses racial slurs repeatedly when addressing a co-worker of a different race.
Workplace vulgarity or bullying in a general form may not be considered a hostile work environment if action against and in spite of a protected class is not involved.