Get Help from a Top Hostile Work Environment Attorney in Westminster CA
Harassment based on gender, ethnicity, national origin, age, pregnancy, handicap, religion, etc. is not just wrong; it is also illegal in the workplace. All California businesses are legally required to take action to prevent harassment from happening and to stop it if it does happen. If you are in need of a hostile work environment attorney in Westminster CA, PLBH is here to help.
If you’ve encountered harassment at work and your employer hasn’t taken action to stop it., call us now. To maximize the value of your claim and begin your recovery process, call (800) 435-7542 to speak with one of our recognized lawyers for workplace harassment.
Learn What a Hostile Work Environment is as Explained by a Hostile Work Environment Attorney in Westminster CA
Everyone eventually encounters unfriendly coworkers. But when does hostile behavior at work fall under the legal definition of harassment? It must be established that the behavior was hostile toward a protected class for it to be considered unlawful. Gender, race, national origin, pregnancy, age, handicap, and religion are examples of protected classes.
Additionally, it must be shown that the behavior was severe or pervasive and unwanted and that the harassment was serious and widespread enough to make the workplace intimidating or hostile.
Not All Inappropriate Behavior Rises to the Level of a Hostile Work Environment
Many inappropriate workplace behaviors, such as making obscene or crude jokes, are not serious enough to warrant legal action. To ascertain whether unlawful activity took place, a hostile work environment attorney in Westminster CA will evaluate your case.
Illegal activity includes physical activity such as physically intimidating a person, groping them, pushing them, striking them, or otherwise physically touching them. Verbal issues such as off-color jokes, insults, slurs, and other remarks that disparage a protected status or characteristic. Visual harassment can occur too, which includes using cartoons, pictures, posters, or drawings to harass someone.
A Sexual Harassment Victim Can Get Help from a Hostile Work Environment Attorney in Westminster CA
Sexual workplace harassment includes persistent demands for dates, sexual favors, and other unwanted sexual actions. The two main types of sexual harassment are quid pro quo harassment, which occurs when an employer requests sexual favors in exchange for employee privileges, and creating a hostile work environment.
The First Steps to Take if You Have Been the Victim of a Hostile Work Environment
Before you can pursue legal action, there are steps you must take to prevent future cases of a hostile work environment. Start by detailing the harassment and documenting it. Make a complaint to management or human resources. Do so in writing, following any workplace procedures they have in place for doing so.
Victims are required by both federal and California state laws to first exhaust all administrative remedies through the Department of Fair Employment and/or the Equal Opportunity Commission before they can file a lawsuit.
List the harassing behaviors, all witnesses, and all documentation in writing. The allegations will have more credibility with this concrete evidence and information, which may also be essential to your ability to recover lost income, lost benefits, punitive damages, and other compensatory damages. There is no reason to wait to contact a hostile work environment attorney in Westminster CA. Contact PLBH at (800) 435-7542 now for a free legal consultation.