Uptick in Sexual Harassment Lawsuits in the US: What Does it Mean For YOU?

Brave women of California have brought sexual harassment back into the forefront of the American discussion, and now we’re seeing a major impact on the workplaces in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California.

With city councils in Californian cities like Los Angeles, Riverside and Long Beach already reviewing the current sexual harassment policies in the workplace, the aftereffect of Hollywood’s ongoing battle against high-profile predators, harassers, abusers and gropers have resulted in an uptick of harassment lawsuits and charges.

And that’s a good thing for employees, our sexual harassment attorneys at Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers say. As for Los Angeles employers, that’s also a good thing unless you have been sexually harassing your employees or ignoring their harassment complaints filed against their coworkers.

Fact: about one if every three women in the U.S. have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace at some point in their career, while only between 25 to 29% of them report sex-based harassment at work.

But the disturbing trend of Californian women not reporting sexual harassment at work has changed dramatically, as shown by the number of harassment and discrimination lawsuits filed so far this year.

Sexual Harassment Lawsuits To Reach Highest Number In Years

America’s sex scandals against employers, CEOs, politicians and other influential men started piling up just over two months ago, but the San Francisco Chronicle reveals that sexual harassment claims, lawsuits and charges have already been on the rise in 2017.

In fact, as estimated by our Los Angeles sexual harassment attorneys at Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, harassment lawsuits are on track to reach their highest level in recent years, if not decades.

Fact: federal data by Lex Machina shows that over 3,500 federal civil lawsuits relating to harassment at work have been filed in 2017 so far, a substantial increase from last year.

This past over two months has been quite eventful for the media (and quite disappointing for harassers, abusers, gropers and predators who had been lucky to get away with their wrongdoings all these years and decades).

Since early October, brave American women have shamed, booted off and waved goodbye (and, in some cases, filed lawsuits against) actors Kevin Spacey, Ed Westwick, Jeffrey Tambor, media figures Matt Lauer, Mark Halperin, Charlie Rose, filmmakers Brett Ratner, James Toback, politicians Roy Moore, Al Franken, and, of course, producer Harvey Weinstein, among many others.

Is The ‘Purge’ A Temporary Phenomenon

What we’re currently witnessing in the workplaces around the country is unprecedented, say our sexual harassment attorneys at Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, a Los Angeles-based law firm that has litigated hundreds of sexual harassment lawsuits and helped quite a few clients obtain million dollar-worth verdicts.

However, even though the number of women who come forward to report sexual harassment and abuse at work has soared over the past months, it doesn’t make it just a temporary phenomenon that is doomed to spiral out of existence soon again.

As long as women are seeing that harassers, predators, abusers and gropers get what they deserve for their disgusting and sexist comments, unwanted sexual advances, unsolicited touching, offers of promotion in return for sexual favors, and many other forms of sexual misconduct, women will keep coming forward to file sexual harassment lawsuits in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Riverside and elsewhere in California and across the U.S.

Fact: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has received over 6,700 sexual harassment complaints in 2017. Our sexual harassment attorneys predict that the so-called purge – termination of and legal action against predators and harassers – will continue to rise in 2018.

What Does It Mean All For You

If you have been sexually harassed or abused in the workplace, what the skyrocketing number of harassment lawsuits mean for you is that this it’s finally time to tell yourself, “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” and join the #MeToo movement.

After all, you never know if your harasser is already being accused of sexual harassment by other employees and coworkers (the more women join their forces against a particular harasser, the bigger the chance to win settlements and verdicts, attorneys say).

Here at Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, we offer a free initial consultation to those who believe they have been sexually harassed at work and aren’t sure what to do to seek justice. Consult our lawyers to find out what’s your best course of action in your particular case.

Call our offices at 310-527-6994 or fill out this contact form for a free case evaluation. We respect your right to confidentiality.