Workplace Harassment

If work has become something you dread — because of what someone says, does, or won’t stop doing — you don’t have to put up with it. When harassment crosses the legal line, we can help.

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At work, I have to deal with...

What counts as workplace harassment?

Workplace harassment is unwelcome conduct — comments, threats, touching, or intimidation — that’s serious or frequent enough to create a hostile work environment, or that you have to endure to keep your job. When it’s based on a protected characteristic like race, sex, or religion, or it’s used to punish you, it’s against the law.

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Common situations we handle

Federal and state protections

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Harassment is prohibited under both federal and state law.

Federal

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the ADA, and the ADEA prohibit harassment based on protected characteristics like race, sex, religion, national origin, age, and disability. Harassment becomes illegal when enduring it is a condition of employment, or when it’s severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment.

Minnesota

The Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) prohibits workplace harassment and covers employers of nearly every size — broader than federal law. Minnesota has also strengthened its standard, making it easier for workers to bring harassment claims.

Illinois

The Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) prohibits workplace harassment, applies to employers with one or more employees, and extends protection to contractors and non-employees in some situations.

Which law applies depends on your situation. Not sure? That’s what we figure out with you.

How harassment shows up at work

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At work, I have to deal with...

If any of this sounds familiar, we should talk.

When harassment crosses the line

  • When it’s based on who you are

    When the conduct targets your race, sex, religion, age, disability, or another protected trait

  • When it’s a condition of your job

    When putting up with it, or giving in to it, is tied to keeping your job or getting ahead

  • When it’s severe

    When a single incident is serious enough — like assault or a threat — to poison your workplace

  • When it’s constant

    When it happens over and over until the environment itself becomes hostile

  • When you’re punished for refusing

    When rejecting advances or objecting to the conduct costs you hours, standing, or your job

  • When you report it and it continues

    When you tell your employer and nothing changes, or the harassment gets worse

  • When it follows you home

    When texts, calls, or online contact extend the harassment beyond the workplace

  • When management is part of it

    When a supervisor is the one harassing you, the employer is often directly on the hook

What a harassment case can recover, if your case is successful:

  • Back pay for wages you lost
  • Front pay for future wages
  • Reinstatement to your job (if that’s what you want)
  • Compensation for emotional distress
  • Punitive damages against the employer (in serious cases)
  • Attorney’s fees and costs

Every case is different. What you can recover depends on the facts, the law, and the employer’s conduct.

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*Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

How we handle harassment cases

Every case starts with a free call. We listen first. If you have a case, we tell you what it looks like — what’s likely to happen, how long it might take, what’s realistic. If you don’t have a case, we tell you that too and try to point you toward someone who can help.

On contingency, you pay nothing unless we win.

Attorneys who handle these cases

Meet the full team
Shawn Wanta, Founding Partner at Wanta Thome

Shawn Wanta

Founding Partner

Recognized among the nation’s Top 100 Civil Plaintiff and Top 10 Wage and Hour attorneys, a determined litigator fighting for workers in class and collective actions.

Admitted in MN · IL

Joni Thome, Founding Partner at Wanta Thome

Joni Thome

Founding Partner

Drawing on 25 years of representing professionals and managers, a steady advocate for employees facing discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace.

Admitted in MN

Suzanne Heywood, Attorney at Wanta Thome

Suzanne Heywood

Attorney

Driven by her own encounters with corporate unfairness, a tenacious champion focused on protecting the rights, livelihoods, and futures of hardworking professionals.

Admitted in IN · IL · MI

Luke Molvarec, Attorney at Wanta Thome

Luke Molvarec

Attorney

Forged by his background as a Marine, an unwavering defender fighting to level the playing field and secure meaningful financial recovery for unfairly treated workers.

Admitted in IL

Common questions about harassment

  • How do I know if what I’m dealing with counts as illegal harassment?

    Not every rude or difficult workplace is illegal. Harassment generally crosses the legal line when it’s tied to a protected characteristic like race or sex, or when it’s severe or frequent enough to create a hostile environment. If work has become unbearable because of someone’s conduct, it’s worth having someone review it.

  • Does harassment have to be sexual to be illegal?

    No. Harassment based on race, religion, national origin, age, disability, and other protected traits is just as illegal as sexual harassment. Slurs, threats, mockery, and intimidation can all create a hostile work environment, whether or not anything sexual is involved.

  • Do I have to report harassment to HR before I can do anything?

    Not always, but it often helps. Reporting can be an important step, and how your employer responds matters legally. That said, if reporting isn’t safe or your employer ignored it, you may still have a claim. We help you figure out your best next step.

  • What if the harassment is coming from a coworker, not a boss?

    You may still have a case. Employers can be legally responsible for coworker harassment when they knew or should have known about it and failed to stop it. Who’s doing the harassing affects how the claim is built, not whether you have one.

  • Can I be fired for reporting discrimination?

    Can I be fired for reporting harassment?No. Retaliation for reporting harassment is illegal, whether or not the harassment claim is ultimately proven. If your employer punishes you for speaking up, that’s a separate violation that can strengthen your case. 

    Retaliation
See all harassment FAQs

Ready to find out where you stand?

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Common questions

Is a single incident enough to be harassment?

It can be. One serious incident — an assault, a threat, a supervisor’s slur — can be enough on its own. Most harassment cases involve a pattern, but the law looks at severity as well as frequency, so a single bad enough event counts.

What’s the difference between harassment and discrimination?

Discrimination is being treated worse in job decisions — pay, promotions, firing — because of who you are. Harassment is unwelcome conduct that makes the workplace itself hostile. They often overlap, and one situation can involve both.

How much does it cost to hire a harassment lawyer?

For most cases, nothing upfront. We work on contingency — no fees unless we recover money for you. The first call to find out whether you have a case is free and confidential.

What if I signed something when I was hired or let go?

Signing an employment agreement, arbitration clause, or severance deal doesn’t always mean you’ve given up your rights. Some of these agreements aren’t enforceable, and some don’t cover discrimination claims at all. Don’t assume you’re out of options — let us look at what you signed.

Can I be discriminated against if I was never fired?

Yes. Discrimination isn’t only about losing your job. It can happen in pay, promotions, assignments, discipline, training, and everyday working conditions. If you’re being treated worse than others because of who you are, you may have a case even if you’re still employed.