Definition

• Verbal abuse consists of words, remarks or comments that are intended to solicit an unpleasant emotional response from the victim. Verbal abuse is used as a weapon to emotionally hurt and isolate that person. Typically, these attacks are phrased in a way that makes the individual feel inadequate or embarrassed about themselves or their work.
  
  

Examples

• Under Illinois state law and federal law, insulting and degrading statements made to an employee constitute verbal abuse. Degrading phrases such as, "A monkey can perform better" or "You are so stupid, can't you do anything right?" are examples of verbal abuse.
  
  

The Abuser's Psyche

• According to Cathy Hartt, a registered nurse, the abuser, often a supervisor, usually has low self-esteem and degrades or verbally attacks others, including subordinates, in order to feel good about himself or feel a sense of power over his victim.
  
  

Hostile Work Environment

• In Illinois, a hostile work environment is any workplace where an employee endures harassment based on his race, disability, religion, gender or national origin. If an employee is subject to verbal harassment that is based on his race, disability, religion, gender or national origin, that abuse also becomes a form of unlawful discrimination. For example, if a supervisor, manager or coworker said to a female employee, "We should have hired a man to do the job; you women can't do anything right," that is a type of discriminatory verbal abuse. Likewise, if a supervisor verbally abused all his female employees but none of his male employees, that verbal abuse is also discrimination that creates a hostile work environment for all female employees. Additionally, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits job discrimination based on a person's race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
  
  

Other Remedies

• The human resources department can get involved and help remedy hostile or abusive workplace situations. Most large companies have sexual harassment training that includes an overview on how to prevent a hostile workplace. The human resources department also may have pamphlets or other literature on verbal abuse and can intervene and speak with the abuser. The human resources department also can facilitate a mediation to remedy the alleged abuse and issues and involve the legal department or outside counsel, if necessary.