How to Find a Lawyer to Help You Take Legal Action for a Hostile Work Environment
Our law firm is approached by many employees that have experienced hostility and abuse in the workplace. Victims of hostile work environments contact our law firm and ask similar questions:
- What should I do if I am a victim of a hostile workplace environment?
- What can I do?
- How can I sue for a hostile work environment?
The following sections will offer an overview of the steps to take if you have been the victim of a hostile work environment. The information provided is not designed to substitute the information that a skilled attorney could provide in a consultation. Rather, it is purposed to give you a general idea of the steps you should take after being victimized. For information specifically related to your case, contact California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group and schedule a free consultation or free second opinion as soon as possible.
What to Do If Your Workplace is a Hostile Work Environment
If you believe that your workplace is a hostile work environment, you might have the following questions: can I sue? You can file a lawsuit for the hostile work environment; however, what you should do is evaluate the situation before you begin the legal process. You need to do the following:
- Confirm that you are experiencing a hostile work environment. One-time incidents—although they can affect you—are usually not enough to be considered a hostile work environment. The misconduct should be subjectively abusive to the victim and objectively severe and pervasive to a reasonable person. When evaluating whether there is hostility in a workplace, pay attention to the frequency and severity of the incidents, the type of incident (physical threat, humiliation, offensive speech), the incident’s effect on the victim’s psychological well-being and work performance, and the status of the party causing the hostility.
- Report it to human resources. It is important that you report each incident to HR. This not only creates a written record of all incidents but also an opportunity for someone to take disciplinary action against the party or parties responsible.
- Report the hostile work environment to the appropriate agency. In California, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) handles employee claims against their employers. To file a complaint with the DFEH, you must contact the department within one year of the last incident. Upon receipt of your claim, an investigator will contact you for additional information that will help the department decide whether to launch an investigation. As the department begins an investigation, they will promote the employee and the accused party to attempt resolution. If a resolution is not achieved, the department will continue the investigation—primarily looking for evidence of a violation of state laws. If the investigation cannot identify a violation, the department will end the investigation. If the department identifies a violation of California law, the department will attempt mediation between the two parties. Failed mediation will lead to the DFEH filing a lawsuit against the employer accused.
- File an independent lawsuit. If you are not interested in going through filing a claim with the DFEH and going through the investigation process, you can file an independent lawsuit against your employer. You will need to contact a law firm with an extensive history of handling hostile work environment lawsuits. You should provide your attorney with a record of all the incidents you experienced. With this information, your attorney should be able to begin your legal process.
The points above describe what you can do if you are victimized in a hostile work environment. As you can see, you have a few options. The most important thing to do is to take action—it does not matter if you decide to file a claim with the DFEH or an independent lawsuit. You cannot allow yourself to be victimized any longer in the hostile work environment. You must contact California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group as soon as possible.
California Employment Attorneys Group
California Employment Attorneys Group is a law firm dedicated to helping employees fight for their rights in the workplace. No one should be mistreated or subjected to abusive conditions at work. Many people are not aware of the legal actions that can be taken to alleviate the hostile work environment; therefore, they do not take action and allow the mistreatment and hostility to continue. Do not hesitate to contact a law firm and take action against your employer. The attorneys at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group have experience handling hostile work environment lawsuits and are ready to handle your case. Contact our law firm as soon as possible to speak with a skilled workplace bullying attorney.
California Employment Attorneys Group understands the mental and emotional distress that you might be experiencing due to a hostile work environment. Because of this, we want to make the legal process as simple as possible. How does our law firm facilitate the legal process for victims of hostile work environments? Our law firm provides clients with free consultations and free second opinions. A skilled attorney will answer all of your questions and address all of your concerns. Our attorneys will give you and your case the time necessary to ensure that you receive the most relevant information. If you already have an attorney with another law firm, you might benefit from a free second opinion from one of our workplace intimidation attorneys. Many attorneys, unfortunately, rush through cases and consultations to increase their numbers. This leads to attorneys overlooking and neglecting information that can be essential to the outcome of the case. Do not risk losing your hostile work environment lawsuit because of the incompetence of your current attorney. You must contact California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation or free second opinion at your earliest convenience.
California Employment Attorneys Group’s commitment to victimized employees is visible through our Zero-Fee guarantee that ensures you will never pay any upfront fees for our legal services. Our law firm is strictly based on contingency, so you will not have to worry about paying anything until our experienced attorneys win your hostile work environment lawsuit. Contact California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group as soon as possible and exercise your rights as an employee.
