Lawyer to Sue Employer for Hostile Work Environment

Victims of hostile work environments are often faced with uncertain paths forward. In many cases, there is a general air of defeat from fellow coworkers; they may feel as though any complaints they make will place their jobs at risk, and they need the income. This is why many instances of workplace discrimination and harassment go unchecked – snitching on a cruel coworker or attempting to change the environment is viewed as disruptive, and there will be accusations that the person is not concerned with the health of the company. It is important that you recognize signs of workplace discrimination and take the necessary steps to tackle the problem before it gets out of hand. Our team of attorneys at the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group is here to help you change your workplace environment and file a hostile workplace lawsuit. We believe that all employees have the right to a peaceable, accepting workplace, and anything that jeopardizes that should be dealt with. Our clients often call us with questions about hostile workplace lawsuits and what they can do to move forward. Examples of some of these questions include:

  • What constitutes a hostile work environment?
  • What qualifies as a hostile work environment?
  • What is the correct definition of a hostile work environment?
  • Can you sue for bullying in the workplace?

Defining a Hostile Work Environment

In many cases, people who are subjected to workplace harassment do not understand the severity of the issue. Harassment can negatively affect your mental state and job performance, but it can also create a toxic work environment that will have an effect on your coworkers as well. You do not necessarily need to be the target or victim of workplace bullying to suffer the consequences.

For example, if a neighbor is subjected to bullying every day upon entering the workplace, you may always feel uncomfortable when the incidents happen. It can lead to you feeling guilty and powerless to stop it, which may make you less productive at work.

As a direct victim of harassment at work, however, you may suffer worse effects. Your personal life can fall apart as mental and emotional damage takes hold, and the feelings of being bullied may not go away. This can prevent you from wanting to do better at work to earn a promotion or a raise; it may even be that this upward success is compromised or prevented because of the harassment. You should be aware of what constitutes a hostile work environment, as some seemingly innocuous scenarios and statements may be much more damaging than they appear.

Some examples of actions that may be present in a hostile workplace include:

  • Denied promotions because of your sex or sexual orientation
  • Offensive jokes or remarks
  • Derogatory terms or slurs
  • Intentional interference with work performance
  • Dirty jokes and lewd language
  • Sexual comments or lewd behavior
  • Inappropriate touching, unwelcome physical proximity
  • Physical assaults or threats
  • Unwelcome phone calls, emails, and text messages
  • Ridicule
  • Insults
  • Sexually explicit emails, pictures or pornography
  • Sexual content posted on walls and computer screens
  • Intimidation or frightening
  • Name-calling
  • Offensive pictures, photos, paintings, drawings, or objects

If any of the above actions were done against you or against a coworker, you may be able to sue your employer. An employment law attorney at the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group Team in Los Angeles can help you sue your employer for harassment.

Legal Information about Workplace Harassment and Discrimination

Fortunately, the rights of employees are protected under various laws that have been passed to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace from being perpetuated. Violation of these laws can result in many dire consequences for the perpetrators; fellow coworkers could lose their jobs, as can bosses and supervisors, while businesses and companies themselves can face heavy fines and suffer the effects of being blacklisted by other companies and customers.

Some of the Acts that were passed that specifically dealt with discrimination and harassment are as follows:

  • The Civil Rights Act of 1964: Title VII of this Act states that employers cannot discriminate against anyone based on their race, gender, sex, sexual orientation, nation of origin, ethnicity, religious preference, and more. This was created to allow people from all walks of life equal opportunities in the workplace.
  • The Age Discrimination Act of 1967: This act was created with the intention of protecting older individuals from suffering discrimination at work. Some companies prefer high turnover rates for their employees so they do not have to pay for insurance or provide other benefits; older workers generally require more attention and care, and this can cost a company money. Further, there may be risks hiring older workers due to additional health problems. The Act protects individuals over the age of 40 from not being hired because of their age.
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: This Act was instituted to protect anyone who had a handicap or disability from being discriminated against in the workplace. If a job can be completed by someone with a disability, it should be available to all capable workers. Employers who refuse to hire people based on wheelchairs and the expected need to provide accommodations can be penalized for their actions.

If you feel that your employer was in violation of any of these acts, contact an employment law attorney at the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group today. We can help you pursue compensation for your damages.

Unfortunately, many individuals refrain from speaking out because they are afraid they will lose their jobs or will be outcasted by their coworkers. It is important that you take some sort of action to change your work discrimination or harassment.

Filing a Lawsuit

There are a few steps you can take to filing a hostile workplace lawsuit. A Los Angeles employment law attorney can tell you the best route to take. Ideally, you will not have to pursue legal action, and actions you take at the workplace will be enough to remedy the issue. However, we know this is not always the case, and sometimes a lawsuit is the only way to cure the problem.

First, you should fully document the harassment or discrimination as it occurs. This means keeping records of cruel statements or actions, taking photographs of any offensive objects, videotaping any harassment incidents or out of line remarks, printing any offensive emails or text messages, and amassing other types of proof. If you do not have the necessary evidence for your claim, it will be thrown out; there is not much that can legally be done about a he-said, she-said type of case. Employers will deny that they acted with the intention of harassing or discriminating against you or a coworker, and without proof, there will be no ability to challenge that claim.

Next, you should pursue assistance from one of the relevant authority figures at your job. You can approach a supervisor, manager, boss, or representative at Human Resources to get the harassment and discrimination to stop. Sometimes, these people will continually tell you to reach higher up the ladder so it does not become their problem, or they may outright deny you any assistance at all for fear of disrupting the status quo or risking a loss in profits. Refusing to end discrimination is punishable by law.

Lastly, if all else fails, you should enlist the help of a hostile work environment lawyer in Los Angeles. We can help you sue your boss or employer. It can be very difficult to pursue legal action by yourself – an experienced attorney who knows the laws and who has many negotiation tactics can be a valuable asset.

Potential Settlement

With the help of our Los Angeles hostile work environment lawyers, you can be on your way to earning a sizeable settlement for your damages. We can make sure you recover various types of compensation, including:

  • Lost wages stemming from time taken off work due to requested leave or wrongful termination
  • Pain and suffering resulting from the mental and psychological trauma of the harassment or discrimination
  • Punitive damages in particularly egregious cases that may include assault or other types of actions; these damages are hard to win, however, and only experienced lawyers will be able to net them for your settlement.

Our Law Firm

The California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group in Los Angeles is here to make sure all employee’s rights are preserved in the workplace. We believe that workplace discrimination is an awful occurrence, and those who commit these acts or allow them to occur without intervention should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The ensuing damages to affected individuals can be quite severe, and you as a victim should not be expected to see compensation out of an incident.

Call us today to receive a free legal consultation with one of our Los Angeles hostile work environment attorneys. You can ask any questions you want about the legal process and what may constitute workplace harassment. Our attorneys will provide you all the information you need to know to start a lawsuit.

If you elect to choose us to represent you in your claim, you are guaranteed to pay no out of pocket expenses for our services. Our zero fee guarantee promises that we receive no payment throughout your case; we cover all costs ourselves, and we only get paid if we win – with the money that comes with your settlement. Thus, your employer will cover your legal fees. If we lose, you owe us nothing at all.

Contact the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group to speak with a hostile work environment attorney in Los Angeles.

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