San Bernardino Lawyers Represent Victims of Harassment

California firm pursues relief for employees tormented by supervisors and co-workers

Every employee has the right to do their job without being subjected to sexual propositions or jokes or remarks targeted at their ethnicity. At Granowitz, White & Weber in San Bernardino, we have extensive experience representing parties in legal claims involving allegations of workplace harassment. Working on behalf of California employees and businesses, our firm seeks justice when someone says they have faced sexual pressure, verbal abuse or another form of harassment while trying to earn a living. 

Attorneys seek relief in cases stemming from improper workplace behavior

Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), California employers have an affirmative duty to help prevent and correct harassment in the workplace. There are several potential elements to an effective anti-harassment program, including a written policy, training for managers and remedial action when a problem occurs. State law also includes protection for whistleblowers who make a report about harassment or discriminatory behavior on the job. When harassment is proven to have occurred, there are several available remedies for the victim, such as compensation for their emotional distress and for any physical effects that might have resulted from the wrongful conduct. An employer might also be forced to pay the victim’s attorney’s fees and to implement additional anti-harassment measures. 

Sexual harassment claims

Under the FEHA, there are two prohibited forms of sexual harassment in California. One is quid pro quo harassment, which occurs when a supervisor uses  power in the workplace to pressure a worker into providing some type of sexual favor. This might involve inducements, such as the offer of promotion if the subordinate will go on a date with the boss. It may also involve threats, such as when a manager says they’ll fire an employee who rejects their sexual advances. Documentation, including emails and text messages, can be pivotal in these cases. If you believe you are being pressured into doing something you don’t want to do, you should document each questionable contact and speak with an experienced employment lawyer. 

The second type of prohibited sexual harassment is the employer’s fostering of a hostile work environment. This means the employee is subjected to sexually related conduct severe or pervasive enough that a reasonable person in that situation would consider the working conditions to have become oppressive. Unlike a quid pro quo case, the person or persons committing the harassment does not have to have a superior position over the victim. Offensive touching, language, images and gestures can give rise to a hostile work environment lawsuit. 

Both types of sexual harassment can involve individuals of the different genders or the same gender. A person of any gender can commit sexual harassment or be a victim of it. 

Hostile work environment cases

Although hostile work environment cases are most often associated with mistreatment on the basis of sex or gender, you can bring a claim based on your membership within any protected legal class. Specific circumstances that must justify legal relief include the following:

• Failure to remove graffiti or other written statements denigrating someone’s religion
• Persistent jokes about one or more particular ethnic groups
• Photos or videos mocking elderly people that are placed within eyesight of an older worker
• Exclusion of an individual from certain workplace activities due to their race
• Unwanted touching of a pregnant woman’s belly
• Rearrangement of the workspace to frustrate a disabled employee
• Lewd gestures or physical contact directed toward female customers

Whatever your situation entails, our firm will explain how the relevant law applies and will advocate for an appropriate resolution. 

Contact a California employment attorney for counsel regarding a harassment case

Granowitz, White & Weber in San Bernardino represents employees and employers in matters arising from alleged workplace harassment. For a consultation, please call 909-890-1717 or contact us online.