Which of the following is a characteristic of hostile work environment harassment?

A characteristic of hostile work environment harassment is the presence of unwelcome conduct that is based on a person's protected class status, such as race, gender, age, or disability. This type of harassment occurs when actions or statements create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment for the affected individual. The key aspect here is that the conduct must be unwelcome and specifically related to the characteristics that are protected under employment discrimination laws.

The other choices do not relate directly to the definition of hostile work environment harassment. Voluntary participation in workplace activities and mandatory employee assignments relate more to the operational aspects of the workplace rather than issues of harassment. Similarly, management support of employee feedback is positive workplace culture but does not speak to the nature of harassment. Therefore, the focus on unwelcome conduct based on protected class status is what clearly aligns with the legal framework surrounding hostile work environment harassment.