The Manager's Guide to Preventing a Hostile Work Environment : How to Avoid Legal Threats by Protecting Your Workplace from Harassment Based on Sex, Race, Age.

Lawsuits and settlements arising from discrimination and sexual harassment complaints are a huge financial drain on both business and government organizations. Below is a modest list of a few of the judgments and settlements in excess of 1 million dollars paid out for discrimination and hostile environment claims in recent years. Hostile Work Environments explains how discrimination and hostile behavior are often surface manifestations of more fundamental cultural and behavioral problems that managers can address with practical measures in their departments. The authors identify the "warning signs" that could lead to hostile work environment complaints that managers should look for in themselves and their employees. The book also gives dozens of practical suggestions for addressing workplace problems before they turn into a "hostile work environment" complaint, and gives guidelines for investigating and addressing a problem or complaint once it has surfaced. What most of these legal actions have in common is that an employee has accused the employer of creating a "hostile work environment" and is suing on this basis. Due in part to changes in federal law making it easier to sue organizations for punitive damages under "hostile work environment" lawsuits, the number of these lawsuits has dramatically increased in recent years. "Hostile Work Environments" is the first book that helps managers understand the problem and take positive steps to avoid hostile work environment complaints and legal problems. While many competing books have covered the individual factors that can cause a hostile work environment such as racial discrimination, sexual harassment, age and gender discrimination, this is the first guide for managers that brings them all together in a single "how-to" book on prevention.

Wanda Dobrich and Steven Dranoff are principals of D&D Industrial Consultants, an organizational development firm that is a world leader in sexual harassment training, investigations, rehabilitation of offenders, and organizational recovery programs.

Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., is a partner with Baker & McKenzie, the world's largest law firm, and chair of the firm's Global Labor, Employment & Employee Benefits Practice Group.