At KV LAW, P.C., we believe that every employee deserves to work in an environment free from hostility, fear, and intimidation. Workplace harassment is not just unprofessional–under California law, it is illegal. If you are being targeted at work, you don’t have to endure it alone. KV LAW, P.C. is dedicated to holding employers accountable and securing the justice you deserve.
Types of Workplace Harassment
Workplace harassment consists of unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic. This conduct generally becomes unlawful when it creates a work environment that is hostile, intimidating, offensive, oppressive, or abusive, impacting an employee’s ability to perform their job.
Protected characteristics include:
- Sex: Sexual harassment is one of the most notable forms of workplace harassment. It may include unwanted sexual advances, inappropriate comments, requests for sexual favors, or physical contact.
- Gender and Sexual Orientation: Employees are protected from harassment related to gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. This type of harassment may include unfair treatment linked to gender-based expectations.
- Race, National Origin, Color, or Ancestry: Harassment based on race, national origin, color, or ancestry may involve slurs, stereotypes, offensive jokes, derogatory comments, or exclusionary behavior. It may also include mocking accents, cultural practices, or immigration status.
- Disability: Harassment based on a disability may include intrusive questions, hostility toward or refusal to provide accommodation requests related to an employee’s disability, or downgrading an employee’s condition.
- Age (40 and older): Older employees may experience harassment through age-related jokes, comments about retirement, pressure to retire, or age-related derogatory remarks.
- Religion: Harassment based on religion may include denying religious accommodations, making fun of an employee’s religion, or attempting to force an employee to conform to a different religious belief.
This is not a complete or exclusive list or discussion of your rights as a worker in California. It only represents some of the many basic rights California law protects for employees. California provides robust and extensive protections to workers, and harassment claims are governed by state and federal laws, including the California Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Hostile Work Environment vs. Quid Pro Quo
California law generally recognized two primary forms of harassment:
- Hostile Work Environment: This occurs when severe or pervasive conduct creates an abusive workplace.
- Quid Pro Quo: This occurs when an employee’s employment benefits are conditioned on accepting unwelcome conduct.
Talk to KV LAW, P.C. Today
If you feel you are being harassed at work, KV LAW, P.C. is here to help. Contact us to discuss your case and legal options.