Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyers: We Hold Employers Accountable
California law imposes strict obligations on employers to maintain harassment-free workplaces. The law mandates employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, including:
- Establishing clear anti-sexual harassment policies
- Providing mandatory sexual harassment prevention training
- Creating accessible reporting procedures
- Conducting prompt, thorough investigations of complaints
- Taking appropriate corrective action when sexual harassment occurs
Even though taking proactive measures to address harassment not only fulfills legal obligations but also creates a healthier work environment, employers can be lax in completing these steps, and sexual harassment still happens. When employers neglect these duties, leading to sexual harassment by a third party, the law recognizes both direct liability for a company’s own negligence and vicarious liability.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment from an employer’s negligence, you can enlist our legal services and leverage our extensive litigation experience to hold them accountable. Our trial attorneys have successfully represented employees like you in both state and federal courts, building a strong track record of verdicts and settlements in sexual harassment cases.
Our aggressive litigation approach targets all matters of employer liability. We thoroughly investigate how employers have failed their legal duties, including:
- Inadequate sexual harassment prevention policies and training
- Negligent handling of sexual harassment complaints
- Failure to take appropriate corrective action
- Retaliation against employees who report sexual harassment
- Negligent retention of known sexual harassers
With our depth of employment law knowledge and strong advocacy, we know how to overcome common employer defenses. We build cases demonstrating employer liability by:
- Meticulously documenting every instance where employers fell short of their legal obligations
- Exposing inadequate investigation procedures
- Showing patterns of ignoring sexual harassment complaints
- Demonstrating negligent retention of known sexual harassers
We have practiced employment litigation for 15-plus years, so no matter your legal situation, we can employ the most appropriate legal measures to demand accountability from those responsible. Our proven litigation strategy has secured substantial recoveries for harassment victims, including:
- Back pay and lost benefits
- Emotional distress damages
- Reinstatement or front pay
- Policy changes and workplace reforms
- Punitive damages in particularly egregious cases
We understand that proving sexual harassment requires showing a pattern of negligence, which demands strong resources and determination. Our lawyers bring formidable resources and diverse experience to every case.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sexual Harassment Lawsuits
Our clients tend to have some common questions, such as:
What obligations does an employer have to prevent sexual harassment?
Employers have legal and ethical obligations to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Employers should have clear and comprehensive anti-sexual harassment policies in place. These policies should define unacceptable behavior, provide reporting procedures, and outline the consequences of harassment. If a complaint is filed, employers must promptly and impartially investigate allegations of sexual harassment. This includes taking appropriate disciplinary action if harassment is substantiated.
Who are the liable parties when workplace sexual harassment takes place?
The individual harasser may be liable, but so may your employer. Your employer is generally responsible for harassment by customers, clients, vendors and other nonemployees, as well as other employees, team leaders and supervisors if the employer either knew or should have known that the sexual harassment was happening and failed to take the necessary corrective action.
What are the challenges in a sexual harassment lawsuit?
Every situation is different, so it depends on the unique circumstances of your case. Sexual harassment cases often center on the credibility of victims and others involved in the situation, especially when there is a lack of evidence through emails, text messages, witness statements and other proofs. Establishing knowledge on the part of the employer can also sometimes be challenging. Another challenge lies in proving that the conduct was objectively offensive and actual sexual harassment.
Is there a statute of limitations for filing a sexual harassment lawsuit?
California law is more employee-friendly than federal law. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) gives you just 180 days to file a complaint from the most recent date of harassment, while state law gives you three years to file a complaint with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and obtain a “right to sue” letter. An attorney can help make sure that you do not run afoul of the statute of limitations with your claim.
Get Help Fighting Workplace Harassment
If you have been sexually harassed at work, contact Moon Law Group, PC, to schedule a consultation where you can discuss your situation with a lawyer. Our team is ready to protect your rights aggressively. To make a consultation, call our Los Angeles office at 213-320-0519 or send us an email.