It should go without saying that most employers want to create an environment free from all types of harassment. Not only do they not want to be held liable for such behavior, it’s also simply the right thing to do. That said, fostering a workplace culture that allows harassing behaviors may happen more often than many of us realize. This is in part because many behaviors can be deemed to be harassing in nature (or creating a hostile environment)—and the individuals perpetuating them (and the managers who are in charge of the individuals) may not even realize they’re doing so if they’re not paying attention.
