Are you facing sexual harassment at your place of work? As a law firm that handles cases requiring an employment lawyer in San Francisco, Omega Law Group Accident & Injury Attorneys understands how distressing this entire situation has been for you.
Many employees who experience harassment worry about facing retaliation, losing their jobs, sustaining damage to their professional relationships, or being labeled as difficult for speaking up. Others are too emotionally drained to handle it any longer, but you’re not alone.
Established in 2016, our law firm is home to attorneys who have decades of experience, and we focus on putting our clients first. Always! We’ll help you understand your legal rights, hold your employer accountable, and fight as your sexual harassment lawyer in San Francisco.
Understanding Sexual Harassment Under California Employment Laws
California law has established protections for employees who experience sexual harassment in the workplace. Unfortunately, a lot of victims aren’t sure if what they experienced would be legally regarded as harassment.
It can also be hard to understand if an employer failed to meet its responsibilities when you’re not familiar with state laws. For context, sexual harassment involves unwelcome conduct related to these topics in particular:
- Sex
- Gender
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
- Pregnancy
- Related protected characteristics
Harassment can arise in many types of workplaces and industries as well, including:
- Technology businesses
- Healthcare settings
- Restaurants and bars
- Retail companies
- Educational institutions
- Construction sites
- Professional offices
What Behavior Constitutes Sexual Harassment?
Certain forms of harassment that are direct and obvious include inappropriate touches, requests for sexual favors, explicit comments, or threats related to your employment opportunities. Other situations are more subtle, but this doesn’t erase how harmful the experience is.
Inappropriate comments, offensive emails, suggestive messages, uncomfortable glances, or unwanted attention can turn the workplace into a hostile environment. Victims often have difficulty figuring out if these types of workplace conduct count as sexual harassment.
You might have tried to ignore the behavior in the hopes that it would eventually stop without legal intervention. Unfortunately, this conduct usually becomes more aggressive and damaging over time, so help from sexual harassment lawyers in San Francisco is important.
Common Workplace Sexual Harassment Situations
Sexual harassment can affect employees of all kinds within a company, no matter your job title, annual salary, or professional background. While every case is unique in its own way, certain patterns appear all too often in workplace harassment claims.
Hostile Work Environment Harassment
A hostile work environment is the result of inappropriate workplace conduct that has become pervasive enough to interfere with your ability to perform your job duties comfortably and safely. Here’s what this usually involves:
- Repeated comments
- Unfunny jokes
- Inappropriate gestures
- Uncomfortable messages
- Physical conduct that yields an intimidating or offensive atmosphere
Victims in hostile work environment cases usually feel emotionally exhausted because the harassment has been happening for quite some time. It’s common to start dreading work, avoiding your coworkers, or experiencing heightened anxiety before your shifts.
Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment
Quid pro quo harassment refers to situations where someone who’s in a position of authority tries to offer workplace-related benefits in exchange for sexual conduct. They might threaten negative employment consequences if you reject their advances as well.
These cases are especially serious because they involve people who are abusing their power and authority. Sexual harassment lawyers in San Francisco can pursue claims against both employers and individuals responsible for misconduct.
Retaliation Following Workplace Complaints
A major fear that many employees have is retaliation in response to their decision to report harassment. Unfortunately, this happens often, despite being unfair and illegal.
Employees who speak up might be met with sudden demotions, reduced hours, hostile treatment, disciplinary action, or poor evaluations. You might find that you’re now being excluded from opportunities or facing termination unexpectedly as well.
However, California prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who have reported workplace harassment or participated in related investigations. Your lawyer can pursue compensation on your behalf in response to retaliation.
(310) 526-8383Evidence That Can Strengthen Your Sexual Harassment Claim
One reason victims hesitate to seek legal help is that they worry they do not have enough proof. Many people assume they need video recordings or direct eyewitness testimony to pursue a claim.
That said, workplace harassment cases are often built using multiple forms of supporting evidence. These are examples of what evidence in your case will likely include:
- Text messages
- Emails
- Internal HR complaints
- Witness statements
- Performance evaluations
- Schedule changes
- Disciplinary records
- Written journals documenting incidents
- Social media messages
- Security footage
Victims should avoid deleting communications or documents related to workplace misconduct. Even information that seems minor at first may later become important evidence supporting a claim. An attorney can help clients organize and preserve evidence while identifying additional documentation that may strengthen their cases.
Call Omega Law Group Today for Advice From Sexual Harassment Attorneys in San Francisco
As the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, you are legally entitled to pursue compensation in response to the damage you’ve sustained. It all starts with contacting a sexual harassment law firm in San Francisco.
At Omega Law Group, we’ve recovered millions of dollars in compensation on behalf of people just like you. Let our family take care of your family by calling us for help. The sooner you reach out, the more time we’ll have to work on your case.
