Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyer

In California and all other states in the U.S., it is illegal to discriminate against someone simply because of their sexual orientation. What this means is that employees are protected from being terminated because of their gender, employees have a right to fair pay regardless of their gender and employees have a right not to be sexually harassed at the workplace.

What actually constitutes harassment?

Employees have a number of rights that must be respected, and if they are not, workers can take legal action against those who have violated the law. As a worker, you have:

• The right to be free from unwanted sexual advances from another employee, whether owner, manager or other
• The right to be free from offers of work in exchange for sexual favors
• The right to be safe from retaliation or reprisals if you give a negative response to a sexual advance
• The right to protection against visual conduct including leering, sexual gestures of any type, the display of sexually suggestive pictures, objects, posters, cartoons or other similar material
• The right to be free from verbal conduct that includes derogatory comments, slurs, jokes or sexual advances or sexual propositions of any type
• The right to be free from any abusive comments about your body, sexually degrading comments describing you or any other person, or obscene notes, cartoons or letters or other such material
• The right to be free from harassment that targets you due to your gender, as well as any physical conduct that includes touching, assault, or actions in which you are impeded or blocked in your motions

Common Cases of Sexual Harassment

Employers and employees alike have obligations when it comes to the subject of sexual harassment. Employees are, of course, required to refrain from sexual harassment but employers are also required to train their employees on the subject.

According to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing,

If harassment occurs, an employer may be liable even if management was not aware of the harassment. Additionally, Government Code section 12940, subdivision (k), requires an entity to take "all reasonable steps to prevent harassment from occurring." If an employer has failed to take such preventative measures, that employer can be held liable for the harassment. A victim may be entitled to monetary damages even though no employment opportunity has been denied and there is no actual loss of pay or benefits.

Chances are, many people have heard about sexual harassment but many are still unsure how it applies at the workplace. If you are unsure if sexual harassment is happening to you, then take a look at some of the most common sexual harassment scenarios:

1. An employee may be terminated or demoted for refusing to grant sexual favors to another employee or their employer. The employee may also be retaliated against by their employer for making a complaint about sexual harassment.
2. Cases of constructive discharge. In these scenarios, the employee quits their job because they feel as if they have no choice. If you feel like quitting your job is the only way to escape sexual harassment, then you likely have a case.
3. Employees that are not the direct subject of sexual harassment may be unaware that they could have a case as well. If you are being exposed to a sexually offensive work environment, even if you yourself are not the subject of the harassment, you may have a case.

Take legal action against sexual harassment at the workplace!

To learn more about sexual harassment at the workplace and the rights that employees in Los Angeles are entitled to, visit the Fair Employment and Housing Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act or our FAQ page. No employee should have to fear going to work each day because of sexual harassment. If you have become a victim, or even if you are unsure, please contact a Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer from our firm today. At Matthews Law Firm, we are passionate about employment rights and will fight to see that you get yours.