Sexual Harassment

Representing Victims of Sexual Harassments in Los Angeles County

Sexual harassment in the workplace is an everyday occurrence in the United States. It can make the work environment a very uncomfortable place and can have a severe impact on work performance. Despite laws in place to prevent harassment, every year, tens of thousands of sexual harassment charges are filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and various state agencies, including the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

Call Kaplan Weiss LLP today at (213) 553-4550 or contact us online to schedule a meeting with our sexual harassment lawyer in Los Angeles!

What Is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment is any kind of unwanted, unwelcome, or inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature in the workplace. This includes many different types of offensive or inappropriate activities. It also extends equally to claims of same-sex harassment. The following is a list of some examples:

• Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors
• Unwanted sexual advances
• Threatening retaliation after a rejection of sexual advances
• Visual conduct such as leering, sexual gestures, or displaying suggestive objects, drawings, or pictures
• Making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs or jokes
• Verbal sexual advances or propositions
• Verbal abuse of a sexual nature or comments about an individual’s body
• Physical conduct such as touching, assault, or blocking movements

Laws Prohibiting Sexual Harassment

Employees are protected under both state and federal law against workplace sexual harassment. Federal law remedies for workplace sexual harassment are based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. State law remedies are based upon the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”). Victims of sexual harassment can recover for lost wages, future lost wages, emotional distress, attorney’s fees, and, in some cases, punitive damages.

Common Types of Sexual Harassment

The law recognizes two types of sexual harassment:

• Quid Pro Quo harassment: This occurs when an employer or supervisor demands sexual favors in exchange for raises, promotions, or other perks or threatens an employee for failing to provide sexual favors.
• Hostile Work Environment harassment: This type of harassment arises when the working environment becomes intolerable due to its sexual nature, which can include offensive acts such as photos, comments, jokes, or physical touching. If your workplace becomes hostile due to these factors, you may have a claim for hostile environment harassment.

Retaliation Not Permitted

Retaliation is illegal and can lead to a substantially higher jury verdict than otherwise would be the case. Because of this, employers should treat complaints of harassment very seriously and carefully address an employee’s concerns.

If you are being sexually harassed, it is a good idea to build a paper trail, including letters, photos, sexually explicit emails, or other tangible items. If the evidence of offending conduct is on a large piece of furniture or other item you cannot keep, take photographs of the evidence.

Contact Our Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyer Today

If you believe you are a victim of sexual harassment, it is important to contact a knowledgeable employment attorney as soon as possible. The attorneys at Fair Employment Lawyers at Kaplan Weiss LLP are committed employee rights advocates.

Contact Kaplan Weiss LLP today to schedule a consultation with our sexual harassment attorney in Los Angeles!