Los Angeles Hostile Work Environment Attorney

Any kind of sexual harassment or abuse in the workplace is hostile, and it happens in all industries at every income level. Even though the “Me Too” movement has brought many of these issues to our attention, there is still work to be done.

• According to NPR, 38% of women in the workplace have reported being sexually harassed.

We know this problem is more widespread than the official reports. Many women and men choose not to report instances of workplace sexual abuse or harassment because they fear retaliation form their coworkers or employer.

The specific manner in which you should respond if you believe you’re the victim of a hostile work environment can vary depending on the nature of the mistreatment you’re facing, your role at the company, the type of organization for which you work, and more. However, the following are general steps anyone should take in these circumstances:

• Report the issue: Consult your employee handbook or another such resource to learn what the official company procedure is for reporting complaints of a hostile work environment to HR. Understandably, you may be reluctant to take this step for fear that HR will protect the company instead of protecting you. At the very least, you may assume HR won’t remedy the situation. These may be reasonable concerns. However, when you later pursue justice with the assistance of a Los Angeles hostile work environment attorney, you’ll strengthen your case if you can show that your feelings about hostility in the workplace were significant enough that you felt it necessary to file an official complaint.
• Document the hostility: Being as specific as possible when describing how you were a victim of a hostile work environment will play a major role in your Los Angeles hostel work environment case’s outcome. Your odds of success will greatly improve if you can reference numerous specific instances of hostility. Thus, to the best of your ability, you should document any instances of hostile treatment you’re subject to. This might involve saving emails, saving chat conversations, and keeping a written log in which you describe face-to-face interactions characteristic of a hostile workplace.
• Identify witnesses: You may rely on witnesses to corroborate your story when taking legal action to address a hostile work environment. When keeping a log of instances in which you were treated with hostility, also consider identifying witnesses who could back up your story. You might not want to immediately approach them about the possibility of “backing you up” when you file your initial complaint with HR if you’re not sure you can trust them. That said, your attorney may wish to interview them after you file a claim or lawsuit.
• Identify the negative impact of a hostile workplace: Just as you should be specific when describing how yours was a hostile work environment, you should also aim for specificity when describing the negative impacts working in such an environment had on you. For example, you may have noticed that working in this type of environment has had a measurable effect on the quality of your performance. Perhaps it’s even caused you to experience profound stress that you’ve needed to seek therapy.

Taking all these steps can also help you prepare for your initial consultation with an expert at our Los Angeles hostile work environment firm. During this initial meeting, which is free and confidential, we’ll evaluate your case to determine if you have grounds to proceed with a claim or lawsuit. We’ll be able to provide you with a more thorough assessment of your options if you provide us with as much detail as possible.

Nobody should have to worry about experiencing discrimination of a hostile work environment when they go to work each day. However, we know that workers in every industry can face difficulties. Often, what a worker experiences in these cases are illegal. At the Azadian Law Group, PC, we are here to help workers. Today, we want to answer questions about what constitutes a hostile work environment and what you can do about it. When you need a Los Angeles hostile work environment attorney, call us today.