WHAT IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT?
Sexual harassment is unwanted verbal or physical conduct. The conduct must be based upon sex, gender, or be sexual in nature. Employers are only liable for coworker sexual harassment if they knew or should have known about the coworker sexual harassment. Employers are liable for sexual harassment of a supervisor or higher level employee regardless of whether they knew or should have known the supervisory or higher level employee was engaged in sexual harassment.
Examples of workplace sexual harassment include:
-
Unwanted sexual advances
-
Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors (quid pro quo sexual harassment)
-
Actual or threatened retaliation
-
Leering; making sexual gestures; or displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, cartoons, or posters
-
Making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, or jokes
-
Physical comments including graphic comments about an individual's body; sexually degrading wordsused to describe an individual; or suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations
-
Physical touching or assault, as well as impeding or blocking movements
Sexual harassment can be done to annoy an employee regardless of whether the sexual harasser actually wants sex, or a date. Workplace sexual harassment can be done by a straight member of the same sex to cause offense, embarrassment, or annoyance. Sexual harassment also occurs when a straight harasser has an interest in the victim's sexual practices such as whether or how two women have sexual intercourse together.
Other words associated with sexual harassment include the phrase hostile, unwanted, and unwelcome. Although numerous flattering comments about a coworkers' body or outfits may rise to the level of sexual harassment especially if they are sexual in nature of aimed at getting a date.
Frequent comments about wishing somebody could get shoes from the same designer line, however, does not sound like sexual harassment. Likewise, comments like you always dress professionally is not likely to be thought of as a hostile or offensive comment.
CALL (323) 525-1600
FOR A WINNING SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWYER
CAN I SUE FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT?
Our lawyers for sexual harassment seriously consider lawsuits involving all forms of workplace sexual harassment. We have even obtained substantial economic recovery for victims of customer sexual harassment. By no means do we suggest employees should decide, without consulting legal counsel, whether they can or should sue for sexual harassment. However, employees should consider the following when trying to determine if they can sue for sexual harassment:
-
Did the sexual harassment occur within the last year?
-
Did the sexual harassment occur within the last three years?
-
Was the harasser in any way led on by the accused?
-
Did the victim of sexual harassment complain about the harassment?
-
Was the victim of sexual harassment subjected to more than one or two acts of sexual harassment?
-
Was the conduct offensive on an objective basis to somebody like the victim?
-
Was there retaliation after the complaint of sexual harassment?
-
Did the employer refuse, or fail to stop the sexual harassment?
-
Was the victim of sexual harassment fired because they did not want to be sexually harassed?
GET A SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWYER
Our sexual harassment lawyers have handled more than 500 separate sexual harassment cases for men and women in California. We have tried in court, and won binding arbitrations for victims of sexual harassment. We have also won numerous important appeals for victims of workplace sexual harassment.
Please contact our attorneys for sexual harassment at
(323) 525-1600 if you are inclined to take action
against your employer for sexual harassment.Examples of our winning sexual harassment appeals include: Dominguez v. Washington Mutual, Katabalwa v. ITT Shearaton, Ortega v. Inter-Con, and Shaw v. Long's. Although not a guarantee of what will happen with your case, we have never lost a sexual harassment appeal.
Examples of our won binding arbitrations for sexual harassment include: Olivas v. Presidente, Larson v. VXI, and Levander v. Rose Hills.
Examples of our winning jury trials for sexual harassment include: Sexual harassment by a female construction worker. Other cases involved sexual harassment of a security officer and employee in the medical field.
Our sexual harassment settlements include:
$675,000 settlement for sexual harassment by a warehouse manager that involved retaliation and employment ending $465,000 settlement for sexual harassment involving a serious sexual battery $365,000 settlement for sexual harassment by a manager who harassed several women $270,000 settlement for sexual harassment by a supervisor who harassed several women $225,000 for customer harassment the retailer refused to stop $200,000 settlement for attempted rape by a CEO $195,000 settlement for a woman sexually harassed by a non-profit manager $162,000 settlement when a manager accused years ago at another employer sexually harassed our client $160,000 settlement for a woman harassed by a coworker who raped another woman $160,000 settlement for a pattern of on-going sexual harassment $150,000 for sexual harassment of an 18 year old part-time worker $672,500 settlement for sexual harassment at a truck stop Past successes are not a guarantee nor prediction of the outcome on a particular case. Each case is unique to its own facts
Call our sexual harassment lawyers and receive professional legal representation
Our Firm: No upfront fees or costs
Contingency Fee Representation
All employment cases for employees are taken on a contingency basis. We are only paid a fee when and if we win your case, and we advance all litigation costs. Our goal is to make expert legal representation accessible to every hardworking employee.
Serving Los Angeles County
We have proudly served all of Los Angeles County since 1993.
The Employment Lawyers Group has successfully handled
2,000+
Separate California Employment Cases
Media Engagements
Sample Case Results
Employment Case
$18,402,868
Jury verdict for male visually harassed and subject to crude comments by a female manager
breach of commission contract
$1,150,000
Unpaid commissions of two plaintiffs
unpaid wages
$875,000
For 4 oil field service industry workers whose times worked were not recorded on timesheets and were on-call
Disclaimer: These results are based on the facts of these specific cases and do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future case.
Practice Areas
Discrimination
Age, Disability, Family Medical Leave (FMLA/CFRA), Gender, National Origin, Pregnancy, Race, and Sexual Orientation claims.
Unpaid Wages & Overtime
Recovering earnings for Overtime, Bonuses, Commissions, Meal & Rest Breaks, and Prevailing Wage violations.
Sexual Harassment
Compassionate and effective representation for victims of sexual harassment and hostile work environment claims.
Wrongful Termination
Representing employees terminated in violation of public policy, contracts, or California and Federal law.
Leaves & Retaliation
Protecting employees who face adverse actions after reporting illegal activity or taking protected medical leave.
Whistleblowers
Advocating for employees who report fraud, waste, or abuse in their organizations under whistleblower protections.
Our California Locations
Bakersfield
5401 Business Park S, #214,
Bakersfield CA 93309
Sacramento
777 Campus Commons Rd, #200,
Sacramento CA 95825
San Francisco
524 Union St, #400,
San Francisco CA 94133
Additional Sites
About Firm Founder, Karl Gerber
Firm Founder, Karl Gerber, has been an employment wrongful termination attorney since 1993. He has represented a wide range of employees throughout California.
Mr. Gerber has won 51 of the binding arbitrations and jury trials he first chaired, and a number of his appeals are published. This deep trial experience is the foundation of the firm's strategic approach to litigation.
The employment attorneys employed by the Employment Lawyers Group have worked at the firm well in excess of five years, have also tried many different labor cases, and have all been extensively trained on employment wrongful termination by Karl Gerber.
Ready to Discuss Your Case?
Your rights as an employee matter. Contact us for a free, confidential case review.
Contact Us
Share Your Workplace Situation Directly With Our Attorneys Via This Form.