What Is A "Hostile Environment"… Exactly?

The term "hostile environment" has become a buzz word used by employees to complain about everything from a chatty co-worker to a malfunctioning computer. Many human resources professionals are inundated with employee complaints of such "hostile environments." Employers have a duty to investigate complaints about illegal harassment, and what's more a complaint about perceived unlawful harassment may be "protected activity," meaning that an employee who is subject to an adverse employment action on the heels of such a complaint might have a basis for a retaliation claim. Given these risks, employers can find themselves in a web of never-ending investigations and in constant fear of liability every time an employee uses the magic words "hostile environment."