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Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
It can include unwelcome touching, groping, repeated requests for dates or sex, comments about your physical appearance, and lewd jokes.
The Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyers at Derek Smith Law Group help you if you are a victim of workplace sexual harassment.
Get the compensation and justice that you deserve with the help of our experienced Sexual Harassment Lawyers in Los Angeles. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Sexual harassment in the Los Angeles workplace affects employees and job applicants through unwanted sexual contact, comments, and actions. Sexual harassment in employment is a form of sex and gender discrimination at work. It targets men and women in the workplace without prejudice. Federal and state laws prohibit all forms of sexual harassment in the Los Angeles workplace.
As a victim of sexual harassment in Los Angeles, you need a lawyer who understands the LA landscape relating to workplace sexual harassment. You need a sexual harassment attorney who understands the violations you experienced and will help you fight against them. You deserve an attorney who will advocate for your rights and help you get back to working and living your life.
Your sexual harassment lawyer should stand by your side and explain your rights. They will explain every aspect of the legal process and prepare you for each phase. They will prepare you for your depositions, settlement conference, and all other pieces of the litigation process. Your sexual harassment lawyer will be your trusted advocate, advisor, and confidant throughout the entire legal process.
Workplace sexual harassment can create two types of claims: (1) a quid pro quo claim for sexual harassment and (2) a hostile work environment.
1. A hostile work environment claim for sexual harassment occurs when you get subjected to such horrific acts of sexual harassment that you cannot continue your daily work activities.
A hostile work environment occurs when you must constantly fight off sexual advances, comments, and contact. No matter how many times you ask your harasser to stop, they keep the behavior going. It becomes severe and pervasive.
In some instances, you may not be the direct target of harassment. However, you find it offensive and distracting. It makes the work environment impossible to manage.
2. A quid pro quo (“this for that”) claim occurs when employees receive advances in the workplace or favorable treatment in exchange for sexual favors.
For instance, your Los Angeles employer requests sexual actions from you. In exchange for your agreement to perform these actions, he offers you a substantial raise.
Quid pro quo sexual harassment actions can also occur when you lose a right or privilege at work in retaliation for denying your employer’s, boss’s, or manager’s sexual advances. For instance, your boss asks you out on a date, and you say no.
He warns you that he will take away any weekend hours on your schedule if you do not go out with him. You say no again. He removes your hours for Saturday and Sunday for the upcoming week.
Sexual harassment affects employees and job applicants in the workplace. Both men and women are victims of sexual harassment at work. One out of five reported sexual harassment claims in the workplace comes from a male victim. Sexual harassment in the workplace can occur between two men, two women, men and women, or several different people of the same or different sexes. Sexual harassment at work affects all employees and job applicants without prejudice. If you think you are the victim of sexual harassment at work, consult a compassionate sexual harassment attorney to help file your claim. Your Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer can help sort through the details of your case and draft a claim that best demonstrates the experience and its effect on you.
Before you report your sexual harassment complaint to anyone in the workplace, you may choose to stop the harasser’s actions on your own. Ask your harasser to stop their behavior. Tell them it offends you and bothers you.
Make sure you document what occurred, when it occurred, where it occurred, who was involved, who witnessed the incident, and how you reacted to the incident.
If your harasser does not stop their behavior, you should report the incident to a supervisor, manager, employer, union, or Human Resources team. You must allow your employer and HR team the chance to correct the situation. They can conduct a thorough investigation and address the issues internally. In some cases, this process may be enough to stop the harassment, provide relief to you, and help you move on.
If your employer refuses to correct the problem, you have the right to file a lawsuit against them. If your employer fails to correct the problem and punish your harasser, you should speak to a local sexual harassment attorney Los Angeles to determine your next steps towards receiving justice. Your attorney can help you file your claim and get the justice your employer prevented you from receiving.
Sexual harassment occurs in person and online. Online sexual harassment has become more prevalent as more employees are working from home. The trend of increased online sexual harassment claims may continue as technology continues to advance.
Many harassers feel more comfortable harassing their coworkers and employees from behind a computer screen. They may make sexual comments, share sexual photos, videos, and images, and send sexting messages without fear of repercussions.
Online sexual harassment also includes sexual bullying, cyberstalking, taking unauthorized videos of others, revenge porn, and more. Sometimes sexual harassment is direct. Direct sexual harassment means that you are in direct receipt of the attempts at sexual harassment by your employers, boss, or coworkers.
Indirect Online Sexual Harassment in the LA Workplace:
Sometimes sexual harassment is indirect. Indirect harassment means that others receive images, text messages, emails, and photos of you. Indirect harassment means you are the intended victim, but others receive the photos, videos, or messages about you. For instance, revenge porn is a perfect example of indirect harassment.
Sexual harassment laws prohibit online sexual harassment as much as they prohibit in-person sexual harassment. Victims should inform their supervisors or HR team about any acts of online sexual harassment.
As with in-person workplace sexual harassment cases, you must put the complaint in writing to prove you sent the complaint and documented all available information. If your employer does nothing to stop the behavior, you may have a sexual harassment claim against your employer.
Working with a Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer can help you collect evidence. They can help you file a complaint in court against your employer for online sexual harassment. Your sexual harassment lawyer from the Los Angeles office of the Derek Smith Law Group can advocate for you when battling online sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment in a Los Angeles workplace can occur in many ways. Some examples of sexual harassment at work may include:
Los Angeles is rife with sexual harassment claims. Between the perfect Mediterranean climate, earthquakes, and the excitement of the movie industry, ethical and moral lines become very blurry. The examples above are just a few of the many ways sexual harassment occurs in the Los Angeles workplace.
State law prohibits sexual harassment in places of public accommodations and housing in Los Angeles. Whether you are at one of the many landmarks, such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Capitol Records Building, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, enjoying the stores lining Hollywood Boulevard, or even enjoying a game at the Staples Center, you have a right to enjoy your time out without the threat of sexual harassment.
The Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibits sexual harassment and sex discrimination in places of public accommodations and housing..
Public places affected under the law include, but are not limited to:
Sexual harassment victims must file their claims with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) before filing a complaint in state court.
Federal law prohibits sexual harassment in any educational institution in Los Angeles. Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 prohibits sexual harassment in any school receiving federal money. Almost all schools (private, universities, colleges, parochial, and public) receive some form of federal funding, including scholarships and grants.
Federal and state laws protect employees and job applicants from sexual harassment at work in Los Angeles. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees in companies with 15 or more workers. Under Title VII, sexual harassment victims must file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before filing the complaint in federal court.
Los Angeles Laws Prohibiting Workplace Sexual Harassment
The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) is California’s Sexual Harassment Law. FEHA protects employees from sexual harassment in Los Angeles and other California workplaces. Employers with five or more employees must follow the guidelines of the law or risk litigation. Employees must file claims with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing before filing their case in state court.
The experienced sexual harassment lawyers at the Derek Smith Law Group in Los Angeles can help you determine which law best suits your case. They can help you file your claim with the appropriate agency to move forward with your lawsuit.
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act forces employers to train their employees regarding sexual harassment. All managers in companies with five or more employees must go through at least two hours of classroom or interactive classroom training within six months of hiring and once every two years.
Non-supervisor employees must undergo at least one hour of approved sexual harassment training within six months of hiring and once every two years.
If your employer has at least five employees and does not provide you with this training, you have a right to file a complaint with the DFEH.
When sexual harassment physically harms your body or well-being, you may have a claim for criminal sexual conduct. Criminal sexual conduct occurs in instances of rape and sexual assault. It also occurs in cases of stalking, online stalking, and revenge porn. If you experience these forms of sexual harassment, you can file a police report to press charges against your attacker. When you press charges against your attacker, you become a witness in a criminal sexual harassment case. The purpose of your criminal charge is to help ensure your attacker is properly punished for his actions and does not attack others.
Civil Claim Against Your Employer for Criminal Sexual Conduct in the LA Workplace
The civil suit allows you to obtain financial relief from your employer. You become an active participant in the lawsuit as a plaintiff. You do not need to win your criminal case to file a civil lawsuit against your employer. You do not even need to file a criminal case against your attacker to file a civil lawsuit against your employer.
If you are the victim of criminal sexual conduct at work, contact the sexual harassment lawyers at the Derek Smith Law Group in Los Angeles. Our team of dedicated sexual harassment attorneys can help you file your claim against your employer to begin the civil lawsuit.
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It was a pleasure to have Casey represent and help me for my employment case. It was my first time needing an attorney, so I was a bit apprehensive at first – Casey took the time to answer all of my questions and fully explain everything to me, which really put me at ease. He was very attentive, supportive, and knowledgeable throughout the whole process – Casey would ask questions to ensure... Read Full Testimonial
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Matt Finkelberg is Amazing and Devotional! It was a pleasure to have Matt represent me for my employment case. He was very attentive, supportive, and knowledgable throughout the whole process. Whenever I reached out he responded promptly which I greatly appreciated. Matt fought diligently and hard throughout my case to make sure my case was represented best. Thank you again Matt for everything.... Read Full Testimonial
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Empower your voice and take action against sexual harassment in every workplace, community, and home.
When you become the victim of sexual harassment in your Los Angeles workplace, you need to find an attorney you can trust to advocate for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve. You can begin your search by reaching out to trusted friends and family to see if they know any sexual harassment lawyers in Los Angeles that can help.
If your circle of trust does not have a referral for you, you can turn to internet resources, such as Google reviews, Facebook, Yelp, and AVVO. These websites offer client reviews that will assist you in finding the sexual harassment lawyer best suited for your LA sexual harassment claim.
If you need a dedicated and compassionate sexual harassment lawyer in Los Angeles, contact the Derek Smith Law Group lawyers in Los Angeles for a free consultation.
The Los Angeles employment culture is not like anywhere else in the United States. With close to 4 million residents, Los Angeles is the second most populated city in the US.
Los Angeles includes a truly diverse employee population, such as wealthy individuals who work within the entertainment industry and wealthy corporate conglomerates. However, Los Angeles also includes its working-class individuals and even its poor.
LA Lawyers Understand the Los Angeles Corporate Landscape
Some of Los Angeles’s largest employers include well-known companies, such as Kaiser Permanente, University of Southern California, the Northrop Grumman Corp., Walt Disney Company, NBC, ABC, Providence Health and Services Southern California, or Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. However, it also includes smaller business offices or companies within the Los Angeles borders. Therefore, you need a lawyer to help navigate the legal system and exercise your employee rights.
What an Experienced Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyer Can Do for You?
Working with a dedicated Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer will help ensure you find the right laws to help your employment sexual harassment legal claim. Furthermore, your compassionate sexual harassment attorney can help you draft your charge to highlight the incidents leading to your claim.
Your sexual harassment lawyer in Los Angeles will also help you draft a request for compensation best suited for your claim. Leaving your claim and compensation to chance without the help of a lawyer can ruin your chances of meeting the necessary time limits to file your claim and legal documents. It can also leave you without all the compensation you deserve.
The dedicated and experienced sexual harassment lawyers at the Derek Smith Law Group in Los Angeles can help ensure you meet all deadlines set by the court and laws. They can ensure you file your claim with the appropriate agency. They can even help you request the compensation that you truly deserve.
Sexual harassment at work is as much a problem now as it was ten or twenty years ago.
As an employee in Los Angeles, you have the right to work in an environment free from sex discrimination and sexual harassment.
Call the trusted sexual harassment lawyers at the Derek Smith Law Group in Los Angeles for help.
Our experienced legal team provides reliable services in key U.S. cities, ensuring expert assistance for workplace discrimination and employment law matters wherever you are located.
Take action against harassment now. We’ll stand by your side every step of the way.