What is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment is a type of workplace discrimination based on sex. Sexual harassment is usually associated with verbal or physical sexual misconduct, which could include touching, grabbing, grazing, groping, making jokes/comments, and making sexual gestures, for example. In some cases, sexual harassment in the workplace could become physical and lead to sexual assault and rape, for example. As mentioned, sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination; therefore, any form of mistreatment based on gender could be considered sexual harassment. Although many people believe that only women could be victims of sexual harassment, sexual harassment can happen to anyone – women and men alike.
Without a doubt, sexual harassment in the workplace is illegal. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, for example, offers protection from sex discrimination on the federal level. The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), for example, offers protection from discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, gender, and sex on the state level. If your employer subjects you to sexual harassment in the workplace, your employer is violating these laws – and he or she should be held accountable for the sexual harassment that you suffered.
Filing a Sexual Harassment Claim with the EEOC and the DFEH
As an employee who has been subject to sexual harassment in the workplace, you have the right to take action against your employer. More specifically, you have the right to take action through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). The EEOC and the DFEH are federal and state employment agencies, respectively, that enforce employment laws. These agencies also handle employment claims – such as sexual harassment claims – when they arise. The EEOC and DFEH investigate the claims that they receive and take action against the employers if they are found to be in violation of any employment laws. If you would like to learn more about the EEOC and the DFEH and your right to take action against your employer, you should contact the sexual harassment experts at Long Beach Labor Attorney Group.
Filing a Civil Lawsuit against Your Employer
Besides having the right to file a sexual harassment claim with the EEOC and DFEH, employees subject to sexual harassment also have the right to file civil lawsuits against their employers. Before being able to file a civil lawsuit against your employer, employees must be granted the right to sue from the EEOC or the DFEH. These agencies will provide you with the right to sue after they conclude their investigations or after you directly request the right to sue. After receiving the right to sue, you will have a short length of time to file a civil lawsuit against your employer (90 days or 1 year after receiving the right to sue from the EEOC or DFEH, respectively).
You Could be Compensated
Were you sexually harassed? Depending on the details of the sexual harassment that you suffered in your workplace, you might be eligible to receive compensation for your claim. Victims of sexual harassment in the workplace might be eligible to recover some of the following compensation: medical expenses; lost wages; mental and emotional distress; loss of consortium; punitive damages. How much compensation could you receive? For specific questions surrounding the type and amount of compensation that you might be eligible to receive if your sexual harassment claim is successful, do not hesitate to contact the sexual harassment lawyers at Long Beach Labor Attorney Group at your earliest convenience – our sexual harassment lawyers will provide you with all the guidance that you need to take action against your employer.
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