Harassment is defined as any conduct, verbal or physical, that degraded or shows hostility to another person because of protected characteristics, and must create a hostile working environment.

Harassment is defined as any conduct, verbal or physical, that degraded or shows hostility to another person because of protected characteristics, and must create a hostile working environment.

• A. Conduct that degrades or shows hostility to another person because of protected characteristics and creates a hostile working environment.
• B. A casual joke among coworkers with no intent to harm.
• C. A one-time warning about performance.
• D. Conduct that is strictly professional and respectful.

Answer: (A)

Harassment in the workplace involves conduct that degrades or shows hostility toward someone because of protected characteristics and that creates a hostile working environment. The best option states both parts clearly: it describes behavior that degrades or shows hostility toward a person based on protected characteristics and it explicitly notes that this behavior creates a hostile work environment. The other choices miss one or both elements: they describe casual, harmless, or professional conduct that does not meet the hostile-environment criterion or the protected characteristic element.

Harassment in the workplace involves conduct that degrades or shows hostility toward someone because of protected characteristics and that creates a hostile working environment. The best option states both parts clearly: it describes behavior that degrades or shows hostility toward a person based on protected characteristics and it explicitly notes that this behavior creates a hostile work environment. The other choices miss one or both elements: they describe casual, harmless, or professional conduct that does not meet the hostile-environment criterion or the protected characteristic element.