Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyer

Sexual Harassment Attorney in Los Angeles, CA

The Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyers at Azadian Law Group, PC, know that in today’s modern era, some people often make the mistake of assuming that the workplace is devoid of harassment and abuse. But harassment does happen, with one of the most common types of harassment in the workplace being sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is not only offensive. It is degrading and humiliating, and those who take the right measures to protect themselves from it often face retaliation and further discrimination. This type of treatment is not okay, which is why at the Azadian Law Group, PC has made it our mission to fight against sexual harassment and to secure maximum recovery for anyone who has been sexually harassed in the workplace.

Our Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyers do more than help you prove your sexual harassment case. We are available throughout the entire investigation process and will explore all avenues to make sure that you are compensated for your discomfort and potential losses, such as a wage increase or a promotion.

California laws also provide for strict liability on the part of the employer for such harassment by a supervisor. See Myers v. Trendwest Resorts, Inc., 148 Cal. App. 4th 1403, 1419 (2007). This means that the employer is liable for sexual harassment by a supervisor. However, an employer is only liable for sexual harassment by a co-worker if the employee brings the harassment to the attention of the employer. See Carrisales v. Dep’t of Corr., 21 Cal. 4th 1132, 1135 (1999) (“Harassment of an employee…by an employee other than an agent or supervisor…shall be unlawful if the entity, or its agents or supervisors, knows or should have known of this conduct and fails to take immediate and appropriate action.”). In this regard, California Government Code Section 12940(k) makes it unlawful for an employer to “fail to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent discrimination and harassment from occurring.”

What Sexual Harassment Looks Like

Sexual harassment is something that is typically directed towards women, but men can also be targeted victims. California employment law provides that harassment includes but is not limited to verbal harassment, e.g., epithets, derogatory comments, or slurs; physical harassment, e.g., assault, impeding or blocking movement, or any physical interference with normal work or movement; visual forms of harassment, e.g., derogatory posters, cartoons, or drawings; or sexual favors, e.g., unwanted sexual advances, which condition an employment benefit upon an exchange of sexual favor. See Cal. Code of Regs., tit. 2, section 11019(b)(1)

There are five common types of sexual harassment that individuals may face today:

1. Threatening Behavior

This is when an individual is threatened or is offered a reward (such as a raise or a promotion) in return for a sexual favor. Threats may be direct or implied, often in the form of a proposition, and in a way that makes it clear to the victim that he or she will be jeopardized if he or she does not comply with the abuser’s request.

2. Physical Harassment

Physical harassment is any time an individual is touched unwillingly. This may include:

• Touching a person’s clothing
• Touching a person’s hair
• Touching a person’s body
• Kissing a person
• Hugging a person
• Patting and stroking
• Massaging the neck and shoulders
• Brushing up against or standing too close to a person

3. Verbal Harassment

This may be from someone who works within the firm or someone who does business with the company or the firm. Some examples include referring to someone as “honey”, “babe”, or “stud”, or whistling at a person.

It also includes turning workplace discussions into sexual discussions and asking personal questions that are of a sexual nature. Sexual comments about the appearance, anatomy, and clothing of a person, as well as repeatedly asking someone for a date and refusing to take “no” for an answer, are considered to be verbal harassment.

4. Non-Verbal Harassment

Non-verbal harassment can take on many forms, including:

• Prolonged staring or leering
• Gifting unwanted personal gifts
• Winking
• Making sexual gestures toward someone

5. Environmental Harassment

Displays such as suggestive pictures of objects that are put up throughout the workplace and offensive people may fall under the environmental harassment umbrella. These items will depict men or women as sexual objects.

LOS ANGELES SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES: INDUSTRIES WHERE SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS MOST COMMON

Sexual harassment can happen in virtually any industry. However, data indicates this problem is more significant in some industries than in others.

Industries and fields where sexual harassment is most frequently reported include:

• Accommodation and food services
• Retail
• Manufacturing
• Health care and social assistance
• Waste management and remediation
• Public administration
• Professional, technical, and scientific services
• Transportation
• Warehousing
• Finance
• Insurance
• Educational services

In industries where sexual harassment is particularly common, such as food services, some victims may be reluctant to come forward because they’ve been conditioned to underestimate the severity of the mistreatment they’re forced to endure. For example, a female cook whose coworkers are all male might be forced to listen to various lewd comments throughout a shift. If she were to attempt to object to this treatment, her coworkers might dismiss her objections, arguing that “boys will be boys.”

These types of prevalent attitudes in a workplace can make some think twice about whether legal action is necessary or whether they’re simply exaggerating the problem in their own mind. Don’t let this happen to you. While some in your workplace might attempt to convince you that you’re overreacting to instances of sexual harassment if you strongly believe you’re being mistreated, consult with an expert at our Los Angeles sexual harassment law firm for more information about your options.

You should also vigilantly monitor for signs of sexual harassment in the workplace, even if you work in an industry not listed above. Remember, sexual harassment can happen anywhere. The fact that it’s not particularly common in your line of work doesn’t mean you’ll never encounter it. Should this happen, you can seek justice with the assistance of an experienced Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN LOS ANGELES & ELSEWHERE

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has analyzed studies, surveys, and other forms of research to determine the full extent of the workplace sexual harassment problem in the country. Their work has revealed the following:

• Between 2018 and 2021, approximately 78.2% of sexual harassment charges were filed by women
• Women filed approximately 62.2% of ALL workplace harassment charges (not limited to sexual harassment charges) between 2018 and 2021
• Approximately 71.2% of Black individuals who file sexual harassment charges file race discrimination or harassment charges concurrently.
• Between 40% and 45% of sexual harassment charges are filed concurrently with retaliation charges.

Unfortunately, although both federal and state laws prohibit workplace sexual harassment, it continues to occur. The digital age may also have allowed workplace sexual harassment to become an increasingly significant issue outside of the office. For instance, if someone is working from home, they may nevertheless be a victim of workplace sexual harassment if they receive suggestive messages from a supervisor or coworker with whom they’re chatting.

Hopefully, you’ll never experience this, but if you do, help is available. Learn more by reviewing your case with a Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer.

Informal Vs. Formal Options For Handling Sexual Harassment

Those who are victims of sexual harassment can take a number of routes to remedy the situation.

How an Attorney Helps You Protect Yourself in a Sexual Harassment Case

If you believe that you are being sexually harassed at work, there are a number of ways an employment lawyer at the Azadian Law Group, PC, can help.

• Document, document, document. Our attorneys will advise you on what to write down and retain copies as evidence of harassment with your employer.
• Mentally prepare you to deal with your harasser. Dealing with a harasser is both physically and emotionally draining. The Azadian Law Group, PC will give you the tools you need to effectively manage your abuser while maintaining your health and well-being.
• Advise you on how to report future harassment. Our attorneys will help you report any further harassment in a productive way.
• Monitor your employer’s response. We will make sure that your employer does not retaliate against you and negatively affect your employment in any way.

Call Our Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyers At Azadian Law Group, PC For A Free Case Review

Our Sexual Harassment attorneys do more than help you prove your sexual harassment case. We are available throughout the entire investigation process and will explore all avenues to make sure that you are compensated for your discomfort and potential losses, such as a wage increase or a promotion.

Another reason why employees hire us is to protect themselves from retaliation. The law prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who report sexual harassment, but having an attorney in your corner is more than often enough to make sure that retaliation of any kind and in any form does not occur.

If you believe that you have been sexually harassed in the workplace, we want to hear from you. Azadian Law Group, PC serves the greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas and offers free consultations. To speak to one of our knowledgeable sexual harassment attorneys today, please call 626-449-4944, 213-229-9031, or 949-662-5405

As we never charge our clients a penny out-of-pocket, you can rest assured that when we accept a case, we are standing behind our clients 100% and will fight aggressively for their rights.