New Laws Take Effect In California

All across the state of California, there were new workplace laws that took effect on January 1. From taking aim at workplace discrimination and promoting gender diversity to working on stopping sexual harassment, workers here have new protections.

One of the new laws prohibits employers from keeping sexual harassment settlements from being disclosed to the public. Before, a company could have paid out money to those hurt by other employees while never releasing the name of the person who was responsible for the harassing.

“As we have clearly seen over the last few months, secret settlements serve one primary purpose: to keep sexual predators away from the public eye and continuing to torment and hurt innocent victims,” said state Sen. Connie Leyva.

As the “Me Too” movement dominated country headlines, California lawmakers were busy. At Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, we know that these laws will not stop all workplace harassment, but they will help. If you have been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace and need help, you can call us today. We are here when you need a Los Angeles sexual harassment attorney.

In Your Workplace

Let us start by saying that workplace sexual harassment is not just something that is slightly uncomfortable to put up with – it is humiliating and emotionally damaging.

There are no circumstances in which it is okay for one person to sexually harass another person, something we are learning now more than ever. We also want to point out that the news portrays “Me Too” happening to high-paid people who have the option to look for other work but we know that harassment happens at all income levels. It happens to people who do not have the option of garnering media attention for their cause.

What Does It Look Like

Did you know as many as 27 percent of American adult women have been sexually harassed at work?

Most people think of sexual harassment as physical harassment. That is certainly part of it. Any unwanted physical contact is sexual harassment. That includes groping, kissing, “casual” brushes, and more. We also know that harassment behavior can be much more subtle but just as damaging.

Maybe it is the constant comments about how you dress or how well your clothes fit. Perhaps it is assumed that you will only get promoted if you do favors for the boss. Maybe harassment comes from the coworker who will not stop asking you out on a date even though you have said no many times.

We need to point out that workplace sexual harassment is not just between a man and a woman and it is not always the man who is the aggressor. Same-sex harassment is a problem and women can also be the aggressor.

Moving Forward From Here

Have you experienced sexual harassment in the workplace but are not sure what to do about it? At Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, you can count on us to be there for you, fighting to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve for what you have been through. Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers You can contact us by calling us at 310-527-6994 for a free consultation.