Experiencing harassment on account of your sex, gender, race, or other factors in the workplace is a distressing and frightening experience for any worker in Los Angeles. Therefore, it is tough to know the correct way to proceed after an incident has occurred. The best approach? Hire a Los Angeles harassment attorney and take legal help.
Blatant offers, physical acts, unwanted jokes, or verbal comments provide an evident indication of sexual harassment. However, conditions that also involve ongoing and subtle occurrences also give an upsurge to a harassment claim.
One of the best ways to verify whether you or your acquaintance have been a target of harassment is by pursuing guidance from a knowledgeable harassment attorney in Los Angeles. They will use their legal expertise to help you identify available legal remedies and your fundamental rights. They also offer their services by investing your potential claim and crafting a strategy on how to proceed.
However, there are some essential factors that you must know before hiring a harassment attorney. Let’s get into more details without any further ado.
Know the Definition of Harassment
Harassment doesn’t only include improper behavior like making unwanted advances. While we most commonly link harassment to unwanted advances or inappropriate comments regarding your appearance, it also consists of any discriminatory action based on gender, whether male or female.
If you’re being given different shifts, different work, or being passed over for opportunities and promotions for being a female, this would also be considered sexual harassment.
Be Aware of Your Company Policy
Each company has a set policy for harassment that tells workers what steps to take if they would like to file a harassment claim. This policy and process should be accessible to you in an employee contract, handbook, or in another document easily available to you.
This policy should be consisting of information like who to inform, what evidences you will need to provide, and what you should do if proper steps are not taken. Follow the policy stepwise.
Resigning Could Withdraw a Possible Lawsuit
If you’ve gone through harassment, you may want to leave the corporation as soon as possible. But if you’re not an employee of the company anymore, as per the Los Angeles jurisdiction, you cannot file a harassment claim on their policy. And it’s evident that without the claim, you may not have legal proceedings. If you still choose to quit, make sure to do it after you’ve filed the lawsuit and complied the evidence with the help of your harassment attorney.
Know How You’re Defended
Many women do not file harassment claims because they fear they will be further discriminated against or lose their job. In a harassment claim case, it’s actually unlawful for your company to strike back against you under Title VII.
Title VII also defends you if you support a colleague or other employee in the harassment case, so don’t hesitate to give a witness testimony or contribute to an investigation for a case even if you’re not a direct part of it.
Your Company Will Need to Investigate
If you defer to a harassment claim, it’s your employer’s responsibility to further investigate it. This means your entire workplace may need to get engaged in the investigation procedure. It also signifies that the one who harassed you will possibly know you’ve reported them, even if your employer assures it will be anonymous.
Unless the harasser is making unacceptable comments to other people in the office, they’ll undoubtedly be able to put it together.
Your Harasser Won`t Necessarily Be Terminated
Only because you file a harassment claim through your harassment attorney in Los Angeles doesn’t mean that your harasser will be fired. Unless the event is exceptionally consistent or severe, your harasser probably isn’t going to get terminated. Nevertheless, your employer should take additional precautions to stop such type of harassment occurrence.
This might contain special training programs, transferring the harasser to another place, or splitting up you and your harasser, so you don’t have to face each other or communicate in the building.
A One-Time Occurrence May Not Be Sufficient to Sue
Unluckily, an isolated event possibly isn’t enough to build a whole case around. But this doesn’t indicate you shouldn’t report the harassment case through your company policy. While it probably is an isolated incident this time, but the chances are it could turn into a recurrence offense down the road. Having the documents to address each occurrence of harassment can be significant to a case.
Reporting a harassment case is also imperative because you never know whether some other coworker in your office might be going through the same thing.
Do What is Right for You
If you think your employer isn’t keeping you safe at work in an appropriate manner. Even if it comes to reporting the company to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or hiring a harassment attorney in Los Angeles, don’t be scared to do so.
If you ever experience discrimination or harassment because of your gender, ensure to take the essential steps so the case can be brought to light and the proper measures are taken. Knowing what you need to do to defend yourself is the primary step to put an end to sexual harassment in the workplace.
Ask Questions Before Hiring a Harassment Attorney in Los Angeles
Being a victim or even an accuser of a sexual offense is quite serious. Sexual harassment allegations are often taken seriously—and being guilty of a sex crime can ruin your social reputation, regardless of whether or not the claims are even correct.
If you have ever experienced or been accused of sexual harassment, it’s vital to seek a harassment attorney who can defend your right to a fair trial and help cover any damage to your reputation.
In interviewing assault attorneys in Los Angeles for your case, it’s better to do due diligence, ask all the following questions, and eventually, select a lawyer who is the best fit.
Ask the following questions to a harassment attorney before hiring:
- Is your law firm focused on felonious defense law?
- How long have you been a sexual harassment attorney in Los Angles?
- How often does your lawsuit go to trial?
- How many clients does your law firm have at one time?
- What is your strategy for dealing with sexual harassment cases?
- How many attorneys will be looking over my case?
- Will the work be handed over to the junior attorneys?
- How often will we be in contact?
- What evidence do you need from me?
- What can be done to cover damage to my reputation?
- What is the success rate of your firm?
How to Hire a Harassment Attorney in Los Angeles?
Everybody in Los Angeles deserves a workplace free from discrimination or harassment. At Kirakosian Law, we assist victims of harassment and accused individuals by dealing with the employers who overlooked the harassment.
Our law firm is centrally situated in Los Angeles. Founding attorney Greg Kirakosian is dedicated and diligently practice law by serving ordinary people to take on prevailing organizations. This includes industries in the Los Angeles area that disregard harassment reports rather than defend their staff.
Having Greg by your side, you will have a high chance to take the wraps off of your employer and attain recompense for the harm you have experienced.
To learn more legal options about harassment law and schedule a free initial consultation with our attorney, please call Kirakosian Law at (213) 444-2908.
These blogs are meant purely for educational purposes. They contain only general information about legal matters. They are not legal advice, and should not be treated as such. If you have any specific questions about any legal matter you should consult with an attorney.