Are You Suffering From Workplace Harassment?
When people come to work, they expect a workplace free from harassment. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Harassment is unwelcome behavior based on an individual’s protected characteristics. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) identifies these protected characteristics.
Consider talking with a Los Angeles employment attorney with our firm, Yadegar, Minoofar, & Soleymani LLP. During a free evaluation, we will answer your questions. We can also help you to understand your legal options. Call our employment law attorney at (310) 499-0140 or contact us online to schedule your consultation.
Los Angeles Work Harassment Attorney Resources
- What Is Workplace Harassment?
- Types of Workplace Harassment Cases We Handle
- Meet Our Workplace Harassment Attorneys in Los Angeles
- Why Hire A Harassment Lawyer in L.A.?
- How Do I File a Workplace Harassment Claim in California?
- Can I Get in Trouble for Reporting Harassment?
- Case Results
- Client Testimonials
- Los Angeles Courthouses Handling Employment Law Cases
- Areas Our Los Angeles Harassment Attorneys Serve
- Contact Us
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What Is Workplace Harassment?
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination against applicants and employees based on certain protected characteristics or categories, and in 1980, the federal agency that enforces Title VII, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), issued regulations defining harassment as a form of discrimination.
Since then, harassment has been interpreted to encompass all forms of discrimination prohibited by Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
Workplace harassment in California is defined as unwelcome verbal or physical conduct based on one of the following protected categories:
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- Race
- Color
- Religion
- Sex/gender
- Sexual orientation
- Marital status
- Medical Condition
- National origin
- Disability
- Request for family care leave
- Request for leave for an employee’s own serious health condition
- Request for Pregnancy Disability Leave
- Retaliation for reporting patient abuse in tax-supported institutions
- Age (over 40)
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This unwelcome harassment can change the conditions of the victim’s employment in two ways:
- By being so objectively offensive, intimidating, hostile, or abusive that it effectively changes the terms and conditions of the workplace; or
- By culminating in an employment action such as wrongful termination or demotion
Any behavior meeting these criteria is unlawful under state and federal laws. If you believe you’re being discriminated against due to your pregnancy status, our experienced pregnancy discrimination lawyers can help. Contact us for further assistance.
Client Testimonials
Types of Workplace Harassment Cases We Handle
We represent individuals suffering from many types of workplace harassment, including:
Sexual Harassment
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.
Examples of sexual harassment include but are not limited to quid pro quo harassment when job benefits are conditioned on sexual favors. Reach out to our experienced sexual harassment attorneys in Los Angeles for a free consultation today.
Same-Sex Harassment
Harassment between individuals of the same sex is equally illegal under both federal and state law. This may include unwanted sexual advances, gender-based bullying, or hostile work environment, regardless of the sexual orientation of the harasser or victim.
Email Harassment
Emails or other forms of electronic messages that are threatening, harassing, or otherwise inappropriate in nature, including sexually explicit messages, comments on race or gender, cyberbullying, and unwarranted and repeated contact that generates a hostile work environment.
Hostile Work Environment
A hostile work environment is Los Angeles is where harassment, discrimination, or intimidating behavior is so severe or pervasive that it creates an abusive working atmosphere. This may include such things as offensive jokes, slurs, intimidation, ridicule, insults, or conduct that unreasonably interferes with your work performance.
You can also learn more about the other types of employment litigation cases we handle here.
Meet Our Workplace Harassment Attorneys in Los Angeles
Meet the experienced work harassment lawyers serving Los Angeles County at Yadegar, Minoofar, & Soleymani LLP. Navid Yadegar has represented corporate and individual clients in all aspects of employment-related matters such as sexual harassment, employment discrimination, workplace retaliation and wrongful termination.
Pedram Minoofar counsels clients and litigates numerous other types of disputes including, corporate, partnership, and limited liability company dissolutions, and other commercial disputes. Navid Soleymani handles business litigation and employment litigation for individual and corporate clients in a wide range of industries, from small businesses to large publicly traded corporations.
Why Hire A Harassment Lawyer in L.A.?
If you have experienced any form of harassment in the workplace, you need to take action right away. Wait too long, and you may be barred from fully asserting your rights under the law and obtaining compensation for your damages.
Under state law, you must file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), within three years of the date of the alleged violation, and then you only have one year to file a lawsuit in civil court. There are exceptions to these statutes of limitations, and if you wish to file a claim under federal law, you may be subject to completely different deadlines.
Furthermore, there are strict guidelines in place for filing a complaint. So, you must have your case evaluated promptly by an experienced Los Angeles workplace harassment attorney who can assess your situation and offer you a path forward.
How Do I File a Workplace Harassment Claim in California?
First, you should notify your employer about the harassing behavior. Follow any protocols established by your employer. Your employee handbook may outline these protocols.
California law requires that your employer has an anti-harassment policy. This policy specifies where to make your harassment complaint. In most cases, you will report it to your supervisor or HR department.
It is important to give your employer a chance to respond to your complaint. If your employer fails to stop the harassment, then you may have more claims against the company.
This claim would be for failure to prevent harassment in the workplace. And, if your employer treats you worse for reporting the harassment, then you may have a workplace retaliation claim.
A Los Angeles work harassment lawyer can help you to understand your legal rights. We may advise you to file a complaint with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).
You may also have the option to get a right-to-sue letter. This would allow you to sue your employer rather than wait for the DFEH investigation. Your lawyer can guide you through the process to help you get the best possible outcome for your claim.
Call Our Los Angeles Harassment Attorney Today
Can I Get in Trouble for Reporting Harassment?
No, you cannot get into trouble for reporting workplace harassment. Workplace harassment is illegal. Your employer cannot retaliate against you for reporting it. However, many employers may do so anyway.
For example, your employer may choose to deny you a promotion due to your complaint. If this happens to you, then you should consider taking legal action. Your attorney can look for evidence that proves your employer engaged in workplace retaliation due to your complaint.
Retaliation can include any adverse employment action, including denial of a promotion, denial of job benefits, demotion, suspension, and wrongful termination. Call our wrongful termination lawyers in LA County to discuss your case with a professional today.
Depending on the severity, retaliation may also include work-related threats, warnings, reprimands, poor work evaluations, transfers to less prestigious or desirable work, and other adverse employment actions.
State and federal laws protect employees who report or file complaints about harassment from retaliation by their employer. The very purpose of these laws is to make sure employees feel safe reporting work environment harassment.
If you have faced harassment in the workplace, the work environment harassment attorneys at YMS are eager to help you navigate your harassment case in Los Angeles, CA.
Our workplace harassment lawyers can help you understand your legal options and file a claim or lawsuit before the applicable statute of limitations expires. Our team will manage the case on your behalf, from beginning to end, to ensure it is resolved efficiently, expeditiously, and with the best outcome possible.
Reach out to Yadegar, Minoofar, & Soleymani today
Case Results
Sexual Harassment
$770,000
We negotiated a pre-lawsuit settlement of $770,000 on behalf of two individuals who had been sexually harassed by their supervisor at a religious institution.
Disability Discrimination
$575,000
We filed a lawsuit against a large package delivery company after it fired an employee because it claimed that the employee’s disability could not be accommodated. Our disability discrimination lawyer in LA negotiated a settlement of $575,000 on behalf of the employee.
Age Discrimination
$350,000
We filed a claim on behalf of a client who was terminated from a hospital after his supervisor made critical comments about his age. We negotiated a settlement of $350,000 on behalf of our client.
Los Angeles County Courthouses Handling Employment Law Cases
Employment harassment and discrimination lawsuits in Los Angeles County are typically filed at following local courthouses:
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
Address: 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 830-0803
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Central Civil West Courthouse
Address: 600 South Commonwealth Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Phone: (213) 351-8739
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
United States District Court – Central District of California
Address: 350 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 894-1565
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
Address: 255 East Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 894-1565
Clerk’s Office Hours: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday-Friday (excluding holidays)
With 85+ years of combined legal experience, our Los Angeles workplace harassment attorneys regularly represent clients throughout LA County at these courthouses. For more information on your unique case, call us to discuss your legal options today.
Areas Our Los Angeles Harassment Attorneys Serve
We proudly serve the following neighborhoods in LA County:
Downtown Los Angeles | Hollywood | West Hollywood | Beverly Hills | Santa Monica | Venice | Malibu | Pasadena | Long Beach | Glendale | Burbank | Culver City | Westwood | Silver Lake | Echo Park | Koreatown | San Pedro | West Los Angeles | Boyle Heights | Eagle Rock | Sherman Oaks | North Hollywood | Encino | Studio City | Bel Air | Pacific Palisades | West Los Angeles | Highland Park | Manhattan Beach
Contact Our Harassment Lawyers in Los Angeles Today
The law entitles you to work in an environment that is free from harassment. Our Los Angeles work harassment lawyers at our experienced employment law firm can help you review your legal options. We can determine if you have a viable claim. Additionally, our LA employment attorneys can answer any employment law questions that you may have.
At YMS, we represent individuals in many types of cases. We handle workplace discrimination, harassment or retaliation cases in the Los Angeles area. For a free case evaluation, contact our proven Los Angeles discrimination lawyer today at (310) 499-0140. You can also fill out our online contact form. Reach out to us today.