There are many cases where workplace harassment is obvious to everyone involved. Say that a coworker intentionally makes disparaging remarks about you based on your gender or makes lewd comments about you based on your sexual preferences. This person knows that they are intentionally harassing you, but they’re doing it anyway. This is a violation of your rights.
Microaggressions can be a bit more complex. Often, there’s no intent to do anything wrong. These are just minor events or offhand comments. They’re not overt examples of harassment, but they could still qualify and may create a hostile work environment—especially if coworkers refuse to alter their behavior when these things are brought to their attention.
A backhanded compliment may be an example
One example of this is if someone pays you a compliment that’s not actually a compliment. For instance, a coworker says that they can’t believe you have such a good grasp of the English language. This sounds like they are complimenting you, but are they really saying that they didn’t think you’d have good language skills because of your ethnic background or national origin? Maybe your parents were immigrants, but you’ve lived in the United States your entire life, so your coworker was just unfairly assuming you wouldn’t be able to speak English.
Another example could be if you’ve been promoted to a leadership position. A subordinate says that they can’t believe how good a job you’re doing with all of your new responsibilities. Since they’ve never had a female boss before, they tell you they’re surprised by how well you’re handling it. Again, they may act like they’re complimenting you, but they’re really just making disparaging comments based on your gender.
These are just a few examples of microaggressions, but you can see how many forms discrimination and harassment can take on the job. Be sure you know what legal options you have if this happens to you.