Being a victim of instances of sexual harassment at work can be one of the most upsetting and degrading experiences of one’s career. It’s important to recognize that even when you feel completely helpless, there are so many external resources available to help address the abuse and prevent it from happening again. If this has been happening to you, here are five reasons to hire a West Sacramento sexual harassment law firm for your case to secure the support you need.
Acts of sexual harassment can be extremely wide-ranging, from simple inappropriate remarks at work to extremely uncomfortable physical advances. Being able to recognize when this is happening, no matter how large or small of an incident, is extremely important to hold these abusers accountable.
Hiring an attorney as soon as you spot the abuse is important as they can fill in the gaps in your own legal knowledge. They have been formally trained in this space to know what constitutes sexual harassment. If you have any questions on the merits of what you believe could qualify as sexual harassment, bringing in an attorney can immediately provide the foundational knowledge you need to fill in your own knowledge gaps.
The quality of your sexual harassment lawsuit will only be as strong as your evidence is to substantiate your claims. Hiring an attorney can help to ensure you collect the right evidence that will make a difference and will be admissible in court. This can include all emails and instant message chats, documents that detail what happened, and finding any unbiased witnesses who can also speak to the abuse. This helps to construct a narrative that is difficult to combat.
Many times, people are too afraid to report sexual harassment at work out of fear they will be retaliated against. This is where an employer will threaten to punish or fire an individual to try and prevent them from reporting abuse. It’s become a prevalent issue across the country, as between 2018 and 2021, 43.5% of all sexual harassment charges that were filed with the EEOC also included allegations of being retaliated against. An attorney can help stop this.
When someone is found guilty of engaging in sexual harassment at work, the victims are typically entitled to compensation to help reimburse any damages they faced as a result. For example, they could be compensated for mental health care or lost wages due to an unfair firing or demotion.
In 2018, $70 million was recovered for victims of sexual harassment, demonstrating how much damage this abuse can cause. With so much potential money on the table, hiring an attorney can help to maximize how much compensation you receive. Having their knowledge and experience on your side gives you access to years of strategies and lessons learned from previous cases that can help uncover more money to support your own abuse.
Years of experiencing sexual harassment at work can amount to a significant psychological toll. Adding on the prospect of pursuing legal action can be overwhelming, especially with what you have already been through. This is another huge selling point of hiring a West Sacramento sexual harassment lawyer. They can step in and take on the bulk of the legal burdens, allowing you more time to focus on yourself and minimize any new emotional burdens.
It’s important to remember that you never have to confront sexual harassment at work alone in California. In fact, it’s not recommended. Enlisting the legal services of an attorney can help not only seek justice for your own case but also put certain measures in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again for anyone else at your workplace.
A: Strong harassment claims are those that have such a strong set of evidence that they are difficult to combat. You need to make it clear that the behavior in question was unwelcome, inappropriate, and pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment. The more detailed records you have on where and when something happened, the better your chances are of securing the outcome you’re looking for. An attorney can help ensure no critical evidence is overlooked.
A: All employers who have 50 or more employees are mandated to include sexual harassment prevention as part of their training. This helps ensure all employees know what constitutes sexual harassment at work, where to report the behavior, and what protections they have under federal, California, and West Sacramento laws. If an employer fails to comply with this training requirement, they will face legal action, especially if they are facing harassment charges as well.
A: A person is not only found liable for sexual harassment due to their intention. Even if someone genuinely does not believe they are engaging in sexual harassment, being ignorant of the law is not a proper defense. For example, someone who makes crude jokes at work can still face the consequences of a sexual harassment lawsuit, even if they were not made aware of how the jokes were impacting employees.
A: It is illegal to fire someone for reporting sexual harassment. This is considered retaliation and has its own set of protections under federal, California, and West Sacramento law. It’s an unfortunate scenario that many people have already dealt with when trying to do the right thing and report abuse. To help get your job back, keep a detailed record of your complaint and how you were treated at work afterward. This can help your attorney prove sexual harassment retaliation.
If you believe you are the victim of sexual harassment at work, contact our firm today. We have years of experience helping clients recover compensation for the damages this type of abuse can cause. Our doors are always open and ready to get started on the next case to help make West Sacramento a safer place for us all to work.
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