Does a pattern of harassment resulting in “hostile work environment” harassment have to exist?
A. Yes and no. “Hostile work environment” harassment issues look at both frequency and severity. The more frequent the conduct, the less severe it need be to create a hostile work environment. On the other hand, the less frequent the conduct, the more severe it must be. Thus, one isolated instance of harassment is generally not enough, unless it is extremely severe such as a physical sexual assault.
