Did you suffer sexual harassment while working as a secretary at a car dealership? Did your employer subject you to harassment or failed to do anything to stop the harassment that you were experiencing? If so, you could have the right to file a lawsuit against your employer. If you are looking for guidance with your sexual harassment claim, do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible.
If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to our employment attorneys here at the California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group as soon as possible. Our team has decades of experience handling all types of employment claims, including workplace sexual harassment claims. If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, contact us as soon as possible.
About Sexual Harassment
What is sexual harassment? Sexual harassment is a type of sex discrimination. Sexual harassment can look very different. Below, we will review some of the most common examples of sexual harassment in the workplace:
- Making inappropriate jokes or comments
- Any unwanted touching, including groping breasts or genitals, unwanted hugs, touching arms/back, etc.
- All unwanted kissing, including on the cheek, on the lips, etc.
- Making sexual gestures
- Making requests for sexual favors in exchange for work-related benefits (like a raise, a promotion, etc.)
- Ogling or looking at someone up and down
- Frequent compliments, specifically about appearance
- Making any comments about a person’s looks
- Discussing sexual matters or any sexual details in front of others including making any questions about someone’s sex life
- Sending any sexually explicit or even suggestive photos, videos, texts, or emails
- Giving any unwanted gifts
- Spreading rumors, specifically of sexual context
If you experienced any of the sexual harassment listed above or any other type of sexual harassment while you were working as a secretary at a car dealership, it is important that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible.
Understanding What Laws are Relevant to Sexual Harassment
There are multiple laws that protect employees from sexual harassment. Consider the following laws:
- Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA): this California law protects employees from any illegal discrimination based on protected characteristics, including sex. As mentioned above, sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination, so it is protected under the FEHA.
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act: this federal law protects employees from any discrimination on protected characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Sexual harassment, or rather sex discrimination, is illegal under this federal law.
If your employer sexually harassed you or failed to take any action to stop sexual harassment that you reported to them, then your employer violated employment laws and could be held accountable and, therefore, could be sued. To learn more about these employment laws, it is important that you seek legal help as soon as possible.
What Should I Do?
If you were subject to sexual harassment while working at a car dealership, it is important that you take the necessary actions. First and foremost, it is important that you report the sexual harassment that you experienced to your human resources department. Of course, you should also consider filing a complaint with an employment agency. All employment claims must go through the appropriate employment agency. In California, employment claims must be filed with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). In general, when you file your complaint with one agency, the complaint is automatically filed with the other relevant agency (in this case, a complaint filed with the DFEH would be automatically filed with the federal agency EEOC). The employment agency will investigate the situation. If the agency determines that the employer violated employment laws, then the agency will take action against the employer.
Of course, you could also pursue a civil lawsuit against your employer. However, you will first need to obtain a “Right to Sue letter” from the employment agency handling your complaint. Although the agency will issue the right to sue automatically after they conclude their investigation, you could also request the right to sue at any time.
For more information about the legal options available to you and your right to sue, please do not hesitate to reach out to our expert legal team as soon as possible.
The Importance of Pursuing Claims for Sexual Harassments – Understanding Possible Outcomes
Pursuing workplace sexual harassment claims is very important to protect the rights of employees currently facing sexual harassment as well as to protect the rights of any future employees. Some of the possible outcomes to sexual harassment claims can include the following:
- Changes in the workplace, including changes in policy and training
- Damages for pain and suffering (or emotional/mental distress) resulting from the harassment
- Damages for lost income and lost benefits if the sexual harassment ultimately led to termination or demotion, or other lost opportunities
- Punitive damages, as a form of punishment to the employer
- Legal fees to cover all costs associated with pursuing a claim
The Statute of Limitations
How long do I have to file a sexual harassment claim for sexual harassment that I experienced as a secretary at a car dealership? Employment complaints must be filed with the DFEH must be filed within three years. Once the right to sue has been granted, then claimants will have one year to file their claims. Failing to file your claim on time could result in losing the right to sue entirely; therefore, it is important that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Our team is ready to take care of your claim and ensure that your claim is filed on time. Contact us today for more information about the deadline that applies to your claim.
Contact Our Secretary Sexual Harassment Lawyers
If you were subject to sexual harassment from clients, co-workers, or management at a car dealership, it is important that you seek legal help as soon as possible. Based on the details surrounding the sexual harassment that you experienced, you could have the right to file a complaint with the DFEH; you could also have the right to file a civil lawsuit against your employer. If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, contact us today!
The team here at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group is ready to help you. To ensure that we remain accessible to all, we offer free legal services. These include both free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our experts will be available to provide you with all the information that you need to either begin or continue your claim. To schedule a free case review with our employment lawyers, contact us today!
Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will never be required to pay any upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. In addition, our law firm works on a strict contingency structure, meaning that our clients will not be responsible for paying anything at all if their claims are not successful. If you do not win your car dealership secretary sexual harassment claim, you will not be responsible for paying for any legal costs at all.
Contact us today for more information about the options available to you under employment law.
