It is never nice to be in a work environment where you feel as if you have been targeted in a sexual manner. There are so many women in every area of life stepping forward with their experiences and giving more and more women the empowerment to report and become public about what has happened to them.
What is sexual harassment?
In the state of California sexual harassment is classified as gender discrimination that focuses on harassment and hostile environments in the workplace due to sexual harassment. For behavior to be classed as sexual harassment it must be constant and persistent. The following behaviors can be taken as sexual harassment:
- UNWANTED SEXUAL ADVANCES
- UNWANTED TOUCHING
- LEWD COMMENTS OR JOKES
- SEX-BASED INSULTS OR OFFENSIVE REMARKS
- INSULTS THAT ARE ONLY DIRECTED TO EMPLOYEES OF ONE GENDER
- THREATS THAT ARE ONLY DIRECTED TO EMPLOYEES OF ONE GENDER
- PORNOGRAPHIC IMAGES OR CARTOONS
- OFFERING EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IN EXCHANGE FOR SEXUAL FAVORS (EVEN IF NO ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTION IS TAKEN)
Steps to take to avoid sexual harassment:
Sexual behavior is not something to be easily tolerated and it should not be tolerated, especially if it is more than one isolated incident. It is actually the responsibility of the employer to prevent and take steps to stop it when it unfortunately happens. You can take a few steps to nip it in the bud:
If the sexual harassment was from your boss asking for sexual favors, in return for promotions – otherwise known as quid pro quo harassment then this should be taken up immediately. It is imperative that you contact a Californian sexual harassment attorney as there is a time limit of between 180 days to one year to file the case, so time is of the essence.
- If the incident that occurred can be classified as a sexual assault then the case needs to be reported to the police, not only just to an employer. It is also a very good idea to contact a Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer.
- If the incident was isolated and happened for the first time, it might be a good idea to have a conversation with the co-worker or the person committing the harassment and asking them to stop their behavior because it is making you feel uncomfortable.
- If the behavior persists then notify the employer and follow the policy they have put in place to avoid sexual harassment.
- It is important that you start noting down incidents that occur, and keep in mind it is accurate with dates and times so that you can present them to your employer and even court if needed.
- Report every incident to management.
- If management does not resolve the problem in a reasonable time then contact a Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer
If you have been faced with sexual harassment in your workplace and your employer has not made any efforts to correct this, or the sexual harassment was done by the employer themselves then sexual harassment lawyers in Los Angeles are here to fight for your rights and get you the justice that you are entitled to. If you need advice and help from a sexual harassment lawyer in Los Angeles call Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers at 310-527-6994.