How Can Sexual Harassment Victims Report Complaints In Los Angeles?

Sexual Harassment Retaliation At Work

You have been a victim of workplace harassment where your manager used vulgar language with you on several occasions, creating a hostile environment. To address the issue, you followed the company’s policy on sexual harassment and reported the manager to the human resources department. Unfortunately, you have experienced retaliation in the form of a demotion, pay cut, and loss of preferred work shifts to a new employee, without any explanation. This is a common occurrence for many employees each year, and it is referred to as retaliation. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has reported that retaliation is the most commonly alleged form of discrimination in the workplace.

What Is Retaliation?

The Civil Rights Act not only protects employees from sexual harassment in the workplace, but it also safeguards them against retaliation. Retaliation occurs when an employer punishes an employee for filing complaints about discrimination or sexual harassment in the workplace. Whistleblowers (employees who report unsafe workplace practices) are also protected under various federal laws. Retaliation can take different forms, including demotion, salary reduction, job termination, denial of raise, promotion, or training opportunities, job reassignment, undesirable schedules, poor performance reviews, micromanagement, and exclusion from staff activities. Retaliation can be blatant or subtle, such as switching an employee to a night shift knowing they have children, making their life more difficult. Any negative action taken by an employer following a harassment claim is considered potential retaliation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) considers retaliation illegal, even if the claim was untrue, provided the employee made the complaint in good faith. In other words, employers are not legally permitted to retaliate simply because the reported sexual harassment never occurred in the workplace.

What To Do About Workplace Retaliation

Not all employer actions that are unfavorable to an employee constitute retaliation. Retaliation specifically refers to actions that negatively impact employment and can establish the basis for a legal claim. If you suspect that an employer, manager, or any other party is retaliating against you in the workplace, our California attorneys can provide assistance. Our law firm has multiple offices located throughout California, and we accept cases from all over the state. Our experienced lawyers can investigate your claim and determine whether retaliation is taking place. By working with our team of skilled attorneys, you can receive the support you need to obtain justice and move forward after experiencing workplace retaliation.

In some cases, we may suggest that you speak with your human resources department to discuss the situation. It is possible that there may be an alternative reason for your employer’s actions that is unrelated to your recent complaint. However, if your employer is unable to provide a valid explanation for the negative changes in your employment, you may have indeed become a victim of retaliation.

EEOC Types Of Retaliation

1. Giving a lower performance evaluation or reprimanding the employee
2. Transferring the employee to a less desirable position
3. Engaging in verbal or physical abuse
4. Threatening or making reports to authorities, such as immigration or the police
5. Increasing scrutiny on the employee
6. Spreading false rumors or treating a family member negatively
7. Making the employee’s work more difficult
8. Taking any adverse action against an employee associated with someone who reported sexual harassment
9. Disparaging the employee to others or in the media.

What Can I Do If I’ve Been Retaliated Against For Reporting Sexual Harassment?

If you experience any negative consequences after reporting sexual harassment in the workplace, it may be grounds for legal action. Retaliation could take the form of a pay decrease, demotion, change in workload, written warnings, or even termination. If you have experienced any of these situations or if you have noticed changes in your work environment since filing a complaint, you can contact Sexual Harassment Los Angeles. Our team specializes in handling cases like these, and we can discuss the situation further with you to determine if we can assist you.