Harassment in the Workplace: Recent EEOC Guidance Answers Many Questions

01-30-2025 11:00 AM EST Over a third of all discrimination charges received by the EEOC between 2016 and 2023 included allegations of harassment based on race, sex, disability, or another characteristic protected by the agency's laws. Also, since fiscal year 2018, harassment has been alleged in over half of federal employees' equal employment opportunity complaints. Harassment at work shows no signs of slowing down. The EEOC hasn't updated its harassment guidance for many years. During this time, a lot has changed. As a result, the EEOC recently issued updated guidance on preventing workplace harassment. There are several new laws addressed in the guidance. For example, does Title VII prohibit harassment on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation even when it does not explicitly mention those terms? Is it illegal to harass someone through text messages, memes, apps, or the Internet? Melissa Fleischer, Esq., an employment law expert with many years of experience, will