Harassment refers to any unwanted and unwelcome behavior, actions, or communication that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment for an individual or a group based on protected characteristics, such as race, gender, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Harassment can take various forms, including verbal, non-verbal, or physical actions, and it is prohibited by anti-discrimination laws.

Example
An employee repeatedly makes offensive and derogatory comments about a coworker's religion, creating a hostile work environment for the coworker. This constitutes harassment based on religious discrimination and is a violation of HR policies and legal regulations.