Hostile Work Environment Lawyer
At an unspecified time in the future, almost everybody has experienced hostility at their workplace that may come from a corporate officer, manager, supervisor or colleague. In spite of the actions that may on the surface be inconsiderate or rude, it may not necessarily be unlawful. Contrastingly speaking, when the behavior or action is motivated by forms of discrimination, harassment because of your age, race, gender, or another protected lass, or in retaliation for reporting an unlawful conduct at work, then those actions may be illigal.
Law Mart has successfully stood up for the rights of workers in all Northern and Southern California who have been put through to hostile work environments. If you feel you are a victim of a hostile work environment, contact Law Mart today at (310) 597-2998 to schedule a free consultation about your abusive workplace claim.
How Law Mart Can Help You
Working at your job you may notice that an employer can create or allow a hostile work environment to exist in many ways. One of the most ordinary forms of a hostile workplace your may encounter is sexual harassment which can include physical, verbal, or quid pro quo harassment. Other forms of unlawful midconduct that may exist at a hostile workplace include verbal harassment, physical harassment, racial harassment, sharing of inappropriate material, threatening behaviors, unusual stares, stalking, or discrimination of any types.
At Law Mart, we recognize how difficult and sensitive your circumstance can be if you are a victim of a hostile work environment. As could be expected, it can be extremely complex and intimidating to fight your employer on your own. Our hostile work environment attorneys will review each inappropriate act conducted against you or that made you feel not safe, review work reports and documents, and work diligently to prove the merit of your claim
Why Choose Law Mart for Your Whistleblower Attorney
No Win No Fee Policy
At Law Mart, we have a No Win No Fee guarantee. You don’t pay us anything if we don’t win your case.
Proven Track Record
Our hostile work environment attorneys maintained its outstanding reputation of recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for its clients.
Experienced Hostile Work Environment in the Workplace Attorneys
Our highly skilled and accomplished lawyers have over two decades of experience among them and are thoroughly dedicated to victims of hostile work environments in the workplace.
Satisfied Clientele
Our racial discrimination attorneys serve Southern & Northern California and have been given the highest ratings as seen in Yelp, AVVO, Google, and alike. Direct communication and superior customer service is what our firm is known for.
Multilingual Staff
The firm’s multilingual team also speaks Farsi, Spanish, Urdu, Arab, Hebrew, Pashto, and Dari. Our professional and gracious staff are pleased to answer any queries you may have.
Available 24/7
We are available 24/7 to give consultation over the phone and if our clients are unable to meet at our office, we are amenable to meet you at your convenience.
What is a Hostile Work Environment?
A hostile work environment is where you find discriminatory actions or behaviors against an individual who is protected from employment discrimination exist. In addition, these discriminatory actions or conducts are severe enough to create an intimating or destrutive work atmosphere. Victims can find themselves in a hostile work environment when they are being discriminated against because of their age, gender, race, religion, pregnancy status, or disability. A hostile work environment can be created in numerous ways including:
- Verbal harassment. This is including inappropriate comments or jokes, yelling, insulting, catcalls, or asking sexually related questions.
- Physical harassment. This is including inappropriate touching or groping, sexual assault, or rape.
- Sharing of inappropriate material. These can include pornography through chat, email, or other messaging platform. Watching pornographic material at work can also render a hostile work environment..
- Threatening behaviors. This includes hostile behaviors that intend to inflict pain, injury, or damage to someone else.
- Unwanted conduct or repetitive behavior towards a specific person which can cause the person to feel afraid or in danger of coming to work.
Alternatively, anyone can have the capability to create a hostile work environment including a supervisor, boss, colleague, or client. Employers are liable for maintaining a working environment where employees feel safe and protected. If however they do not abide by such matters, they can be held accountable if they have knowledge of the hostile work environment but refuse to act and take steps to prevent it from happening again in the long run.
Examples of Behaviors That Create Hostile Work Environments
There are many types of behaviors that can bestow to a hostile work environment. The most ordinary types include:
- Sexual comments
- Presence of sexually suggestive pictures or objects
- Discrimination
- Mockery or ridicule
- Gender-based slurs
- Offensive jokes or comments
- Inappropriate touching
- Threats of physical violence
- Any type of physical violence
- Unwanted touching or rubbing
- Racial slurs or insults
- Name calling
- Intimidation
It is vital to keep in mind that these behaviors do not have to be centered directly at an employee to create a hostile work environment.
Am I Working in a Hostile Environment?
The way to determine whether you are a victim of a hostile work environment can be complex. Some work environments may be frustrating or strenuous but aren’t necessarily hostile and for that reason it would not qualify for legal action.In opposition, some victims may not even understand they are working in a hostile work environment.
In order to file a claim based on a hostile work environment, the offensive behavior must meet the following criteria:
- Disrupts Your Work. A work environment that is distracting or sometimes annoying isn’t necessarily hostile. But if your mental health is negatively affected by certain behavior or if you fear going into work, you may be working in a hostile workplace.
- Severe, Pervasive, and Persistent. For a hostile environment to exist, it is not enough to just hear one or two derogatory comments from a colleague. Instead, the behavior must be repetitive or frequent.
- Your Employer Knew But Did Not Take Appropriate Action. California employers are required to provide a safe working environment for all workers. If an employer knew about the abuse or harassment but failed to take prompt and corrective appropriate actions, they may be held liable.
Knowing Your Rights to a Safe Workplace as an Employee
As California workers you have the right to do their job and earn an income. When a hostile work environment exists, it averts you from being able to do your job correctly. A hostile work atmosphere not only exists at work, but the stress from the harassment or discrimination alsomay be carried over into your personal life. Regardless of your job title or status, no one should have to undergo the illigal discrimination and harassment behaviors at work. If you think you are working in a hostile work environment, we firmly encourage you to speak with an experienced employment lawyer as soon as possible. Our experienced lawyer can evaluate whether you are a victim of a hostile work environment and discuss your legal issues and options that can help your situation.
What Are The Laws That Can Protect You from An Hostile Work Environment
In California, a worker is protected under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The FEHA helps to provide workers with protection from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in any work environment. All employment provisions under FEHA apply to all employers with five or more employees. In addition, the FEHA’s anti-harassment provisions also apply to all employers with one or more employees.
How To Prove a Hostile Work Environment
In order to prove that a hostile work environment exists, the following criteria must be met:
- Displaying evidence that you are part of a protected class (including race, color, religion, sex or gender, pregnancy, disability, or over the age of 40).
- If you are being discriminated against or harassed for reasons that are against employment laws, labor laws, and public policy or for no apparent reason.
- The perpetrator or aggressor is either the employer, a supervisor, or someone in a supervisory position.
- You have unfortunately suffered from physical, emotional, or economic damage because of the hostile work environment.
Protected Classes That Determine Hostile Work Environment
The FEHA has outlined specific traits that are part of a protect class which includes:
- Age
- Ancestry
- Gender
- Gender identity
- Marital status
- Medical conditions
- Mental disability
- National origin
- Physical disability
- Race
- Religion
- Sexual orientation
If you have experienced harassment at work based on any of these protected classes, then you may be a victim of a hostile work environment. Contact a Los Angeles hostile work environment attorney as soon as possible to discuss your possible claim.
What Should You Do If You’re a Victim of a Hostile Work Environment?
If you have been discriminated against or harassed at work, you should report the hostile work environment to the proper authorities which could be your supervisor or human resources department. If you have already reported the incident but nothing has been corrected, then you may be eligible to file a hostile work environment claim against your employer.
Our hostile work environment attorneys in Los Angeles have maintained years of experience in assisting California workers who have been mistreated at their workplace. We understand that victims often feel scared, traumatized, and trapped by the mistreatment and discrimination. For that reason, every worker has a right to provide a safe working environment and should not have to feel scared or worried about working in a hostile work atmosphere. If you have already reported the hostile work environment to your employer but the environment has not changed, contact our lawyer referral services as soon as possible. Our attorneys have the experience and knowledge that can help you obtain justice and compensation for the damages endured. Our experienced Hostile Work Environment Lawyers have extensive knowledge about California employment laws and will fight to protect your rights during these challenging times.
What If You Can’t Point to a Specific Hostile Act?
Even if you can’t point to a particular type of harassment or discrimination that occured in your workplace, you may still have a claim against your employer. Many victims mistakenly think that they need to find specific reasons why an employer has retaliated against them but that’s simply not true when it comes to this violation. Also, a victim doesn’t even have to be a whistleblower (an employee who exposes an illegal activity within an organization).
If you feel that your employer is making it difficult for you to do your job, contact the hostile work environment lawyers at Law Mart today. We can help fight for your rights and protect you against unfair treatment at your workplace. With our knowledge, resources, and experienced legal team, we can successfully prove that there are small things your employer does to make you feel uncomfortable or unwanted at work. Even if you’re not part of a protected class, you can still experience emotional, physical, or economical damage that may entitle you to file an employment claim against your employer.
Victims May Fear Retaliation for Reporting a Hostile Work Environment
One of the most usual fears that put a stop to victims from reporting a hostile work environment is retaliation. When your a employee of your work you often hesitate to report acts of discrimination or harassment because your afraid they will get you fired and may lose your job if they report the inappropriate behavior. For that reason, it’s important to note that no one should be forced to continue working at a job where they feel unsafe.
As a California worker you should know that fear of retaliation is a basis for bringing a hostile work environment claim. Our California hostile work environment attorneys can help prove that the fear was justified based on things like statements or actions of the abuser, the company culture, or specific actions or inactions by the company’s human resources department.
Protect Yourself from a Hostile Work Environment
Any job seeker knows how difficult it can be to find a good job. And if you’re productively working very hard and doing your best effort at your work, you should not have to feel unsafe or forced to quit due to a hostile work environment. Employers are accountable for making certain a safe working environment for all employees. If you are working in a work environment where you’re being targeted for unlawful and unnecessary reasons, it’s viable to seek help from a skilled hostile work environment attorney in California from Law Mart today. Our employment attorneys will work attentively to protect your employment rights and make sure your employer is held accountable for their actions conducted at your work.
Contact our law firm today for a free consultation. We can determine if you have a basis for a hostile work environment claim and help advise on the best way to legally proceed. We accept clients on a contingency basis, meaning that if we don’t win your case, you don’t pay us anything. Our clients also have peace of mind that they will not have to pay upfront legal fees but can focus on the case at hand. We have successfully helped hostile work environment victims throughout California obtain justice and maximum compensation for their damages. There are strict deadlines to file a hostile work environment claim so don’t hesitate to contact us as soon as possible. Call us today at (310) 689-6413
Hostile Work Environment Lawyer FAQs
Is it possible to sue for a hostile work environment in California?
In California, if you work in an environment where unsuitable behavior is prevalent or severe enough to create an abusive work environment, then you may be able to file a claim against your employer. At any cost, a hostile work environment exists when there are discriminatory actions or behaviors against a person who is part of a protected class such as age, ancestry, gender, gender identity, marital status, medical conditions, mental disability, national origin, physical disability, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
What behaviors make up a hostile work environment in California?
Unacceptable behavior is prevalent or serious enough to create an abusive work environment can be contemplated as a hostile work environment. A hostile work environment can be created in various ways including verbal harassment, physical harassment, sexual or racial harassment, sharing of inappropriate material, threatening behaviors, stalking, assault, and even discrimination of any kind.
How do I prove a hostile work environment in California?
In order to prove that you work in a hostile work environment, the offensive behavior must meet the following criteria: disrupts your work to a point where your mental health is impacted negatively, affected by certain behavior or if you fear going into work; the behavior is serious, extensive, and persistent; and your employer knew about the abuse or harassment but halts to take prompt and corrective appropriate actions.
Can you sue a company for creating a hostile work environment?
Working for a difficult boss or at a challenging job does not always necessarily mean it’s a hostile work environment. But if you experienced unacceptable behavior at work that is pervasive or serious enough to create an abusive work environment, then you may have grounds to sue your employer. A hostile work environment exists when there is discriminatory actions or behaviors against an individual who is part of a protected class such as age, ancestry, gender, gender identity, marital status, medical conditions, mental disability, national origin, physical disability, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
