Can my boss make fun of me with other co-workers during work hours?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Can my boss make fun of me with other co-workers during work hours?

For the past few years I have noticed my supervisor and a fellow co-worker whispering and pointing and laughing. It felt like it was about me but I never knew for sure. Thought I was being paranoid until yesterday. My supervisor wrote on a sticky note in front of 2 co-workers laughing and then threw the note away. I was suspicious of this and decided to get the note out of the trash and see what they were laughing about. She wrote, “I know those are not white shoes”. I was wearing white shoes. I kept the note.

Asked on March 17, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, North Carolina

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 13 years ago | Contributor

With the one limitation below, your boss *can* make fun of you, whether during work hours or otherwise. That is, there is no general legal obligation that a supervisor be nice or respectful or polite or fair or etc. to a worker; bosses--and also coworkers--can be as nasty as they like, at work or after.

The only exception is that there is no harassment or discrimination based on a protected characteristic, such as race, sex, religion, disability, or age over 40. So if you think that you are being targetted for harassment due to a protected characteristic such as these, you should speak with an employment attorney; you may possibly have a claim for employment discrimination. Good luck.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption