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California Sexual Harassment Attorneys

Fear over job loss, demotion, and physical and mental harm are among the factors that keep sexually harassed workers from reporting misconduct in the workplace. While most businesses have methods in place for victims of California sexual harassment to report issues, sometimes they are unclear, ineffective, or intimidating and employees are retaliated against, fired, forced to quit or continue working in a hostile environment as tension builds.

The Southern California sexual harassment lawyers at Steinberg & Spencer will fight this intimidation and help victims ensure they are free from the burden of mental, physical, and emotional harm at work and hold the harassers accountable for their actions. In the U.S. last year, $48.8 million was paid out in monetary benefits last year, not including that obtained through litigation (1).

Definition of Sexual Harassment

The Fair Employment and Housing Commission (FEHC) defines sexual harassment as “unwanted sexual advances, or visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. This definition includes many forms of offensive behavior and includes gender-based harassment of a person of the same sex as the harasser (2).”

Several actions can constitute California sexual harassment:

• unwanted sexual advances
• demanding sexual favors for employment benefits, raises, promotions, etc.
• threatening disciplinary action after a negative response to sexual advances
• visually: leering, sexual gestures, or suggestive objects or photos, cartoons, or posters
• verbally: derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, jokes, sexual advances, or propositions
• verbal abuse of a sexual nature, graphic verbal commentaries on a victim's body, sexually degrading language, suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations
• physically: touching, assault, impeding, or blocking movements

Sexual harassment can come from several avenues, whether the aggressive party is an agent of the employer, a supervisor, co-worker, junior employee, non-employee, or male or female of the opposite or same sex. While the majority of claims filed for Southern California sexual harassment come from women, over 15 percent of charges filed in the U.S. in 2006 were by men (1).

Moving Forward

Victims of California sexual harassment should file written complaints and go through their employer's stated methods for filing. If no immediate and effective corrective action is taken or the harassment continues, contact a California sexual harassment lawyer at Steinberg & Spencer.

To help with the case, victims should keep records and documents, when possible, of the actions taken by the person harassing them to help support their cases. In these records, dates, times, places, the people involved, and any witnesses should be written down. Specific details and a description of exactly what happened can be very helpful.

After going through the proper avenues for reporting California sexual harassment in the workplace, victims can file claims with a state agency. If going to the sources provided at work doesn't end the sexual harassment, the sharp and determined lawyers at Steinberg & Spencer will help you file your claim with the proper agency. We work with the utmost discretion and confidentiality and will treat you and your case with the respect and dignity you deserve.

Sources:

• http://www.eeoc.gov/stats/harass.html
• http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/about/fehaDescription.aspx?display=1

Free Consultation

When an injury changes your life, you need help. Contact a Southern California personal injury lawyer at Steinberg & Spencer today. We have successfully represented clients throughout California, including Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Ventura counties. Complete a Free Online Consultation Form or call us toll free at (866) 250-8942 today.