Harassment Lawyers in Orange County

Helping Workplace Harassment Victims Take Legal Action

If the offensive, inappropriate conduct of someone at work is making it nearly impossible for you to get through the workday, you might be a victim of workplace harassment. If you can prove that the harassment adversely affects you and is due to your association with a protected class, you can proceed with a harassment claim through the help of skilled Orange County workplace harassment attorneys.

When you contact Odell Law, PLC, you’ll get legal representation from a lawyer who will work tirelessly to find a solution to the verbal, physical, or sexual harassment you’re dealing with. Contact our Orange County, California law offices for a free consultation with a skilled attorney.

What Is Considered Harassment in the Workplace?

It’s normal to encounter coworkers or bosses who are rude or difficult to work with, but that doesn’t always mean they’re harassing you. To qualify as workplace harassment, the harmful conduct must be persistent enough to create a hostile work environment and be related to one or more protected classes you belong to. In California, these classes include:

• Race
• Color
• Disability
• Sex
• National origin
• Religion
• Pregnancy
• Sexual orientation
• Age, if you’re over 40
• Gender identity
• Marital status
• Veteran status
• Genetic information

If a coworker or supervisor has been targeting you with verbal comments or physical conduct that may be based on your protected characteristics, you might be able to make a harassment claim. Skilled Orange County harassment attorneys can guide you through your case, so call our Orange County law offices for a free consultation.

What Are Examples of Harassment at Work?

If someone’s comments or actions based on your protected characteristics make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe at work, you should talk to an Orange County lawyer about your legal options. After all, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission states that employees have a right to a work environment free of harassment or discrimination. So, if a coworker or manager’s conduct has created an offensive work environment, filing a harassment claim may be the right step.

If you’re unsure if you’re experiencing workplace harassment, consider the most common forms it can take. To start, verbal harassment includes offensive jokes, inappropriate questions, slurs, and threats.

Harassment can also be written or photographic, such as offensive notes, emails, text messages, or inappropriate pictures. Some workplace harassment is physical. A few examples include a coworker making offensive hand gestures, purposely standing uncomfortably close to the victim, and touching or even injuring them.

Of course, one of the most common types of harassment in the workplace is sexual harassment. Like other types of workplace harassment, sexual harassment comes in many forms that range from verbal to physical. Some examples of sexual harassment include:

• Telling stories and jokes of a sexual nature
• Using sexual slurs
• Sending sexually explicit emails or text messages
• Sharing naked pictures and videos
• Asking questions of a sexual nature
• Making unwelcome sexual advances
• Committing sexual assault
• Requesting sexual favors in exchange for raises, bonuses, and other benefits

It’s considered sexual harassment whether your supervisor or coworker is the one making unwelcome sexual advances or comments of a sexual nature. However, sexual harassment feels more egregious when it’s done by your supervisor or another member of leadership, since they have the authority to fire, demote, or deny you a promotion for turning down their unwelcome sexual advances.

This is why it’s important to contact an Orange County sexual harassment lawyer if you’ve been sexually harassed in the workplace. Your workday should never be interrupted by unwanted requests for sexual favors, so call our Orange County sexual harassment attorneys for help taking legal action.

What Should You Do About Workplace Harassment?

If the signs of sexual harassment or any other type of workplace harassment sound familiar, it’s time to seek advice from a lawyer. You might have a solid legal claim, resulting in a settlement that compensates you for lost wages, emotional distress, and other damages.

Before you work toward compensation, you’ll need to prove that you suffered from workplace harassment brought on by discrimination due to your protected characteristics. Skilled Orange County attorneys can help. When you come to our Orange County law firm for a free consultation, we’ll begin gathering evidence to prove your claim. Some of the ways to prove workplace harassment include:

• Interviews from coworkers who witnessed persistent harassment
• Video footage or photos of the harassment and its effects on the victim
• Medical records for any treatment the victim sought after physical or sexual harassment
• Records showing the victim went to therapy after being harassed at work
• Emails, text messages, photos, or other documents showing written harassment

An experienced Orange County sexual harassment lawyer will let you know what specific evidence would help your case and can assist in collecting it. They’ll also calculate the damages you’ll likely recover once you make a claim about the unlawful behavior you’ve experienced. If you’re ready to initiate an attorney/client relationship with a compassionate Orange County lawyer, contact us for a free consultation.

How Can Orange County Harassment Lawyers Assist with Your Claim?

At Odell Law, PLC, we understand the impact harassment can have on your life, especially when it happens regularly at a job you depend on to support yourself. You shouldn’t have to compromise your happiness and well-being so you can pay the bills. Our Orange County sexual harassment attorneys are here to help, as we’ve guided numerous clients through legal claims over the years.

When you contact us to explain the details of your offensive work environment, we’ll review your legal options and discuss how to proceed for an outcome that doesn’t require you to continue putting your mental, emotional, or physical health at risk. If you’re ready to ensure your employer is held liable for workplace harassment, call our Orange County law firm at 949-771-8173 to discuss how to pursue compensation.