Employment Harassment

Corren & Corren regularly represents both employees and employers in employment harassment matters. Forms of illegal unwelcome harassment include:

  • Sex/Gender
  • Race
  • Physical Condition or Disability
  • National Origin
  • Pregnancy
  • Age (Over 40 Years of Age)
  • Religion
  • Sexual Orientation

Sex harassment is the most common form of harassment and is typically defined as unwanted sexual advances, or visual, verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. The following is a partial list of prohibited behavior:

  • Visual Conduct: leering, making sexual gestures, displaying of sexually suggestive objects, pictures, cartoons, or posters
  • Verbal Conduct: making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, or jokes; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; graphic verbal commentaries about an individual’s body; sexually degrading words used to describe an individual
  • Physical Conduct: touching, assault, impeding, or blocking movements
  • Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors
  • Making or threatening retaliatory action after receiving a negative response to sexual advances

Employees who have been illegally harassed are potentially entitled to certain remedies including:

  • Lost Wages
  • Reinstatement
  • Lost Employment Benefits
  • Legal Expenses
  • Mental and Emotional Distress Damages

Normally before an employee is authorized to file a harassment lawsuit in Court, an employee must first file what is referred to as an administrative complaint with either the California Department of Fair Employment Housing and/or the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Only after one or both of these administrative agencies has issued what is called “a right to sue letter” can the employee then usually file a lawsuit. And while these administrative agencies do have the authority to initiate litigation on behalf of the employee, with limited resources they only are able to litigate a very small percentage of claims.

If you believe you are a victim of employment harassment or you are an employer being accused of harassment, please contact our office for a free consultation.

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If you would like to speak to one of the attorneys at Corren & Corren about your legal matter, please contact our office for a free consultation.

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