No one should have to go to work and face harassment because of who they are. When bad treatment becomes serious or keeps happening, it may create an illegal hostile work environment.
An Irvine employment law attorney at Elite Employment Law can help you understand whether the treatment you faced may violate California law. Our team helps workers dealing with harassment and other serious problems in the workplace.
Why Choose Us at Elite Employment Law
Our team at Elite Employment Law helps employees facing unfair treatment at work. Here is why workers in California choose us:
- We only help workers: We never represent employers. Our team only fights for employees.
- Proven results: We have a success rate of over 97% and have recovered millions of dollars for our clients.
- No upfront legal fee: You pay us nothing out of pocket unless we obtain a successful result.
What Qualifies as Hostile Work Environment?
A workplace is not legally hostile just because a boss is rude or coworkers do not get along. A legal hostile work environment usually involves severe or ongoing harassment based on a trait protected by law. The behavior may make it harder for a worker to do their job or feel comfortable at work. Examples may include:
- Racial slurs or offensive jokes
- Sexual comments or unwanted touching
- Insults about a person’s religion
- Harassment because of a disability
- Offensive comments about age or gender
- Threatening pictures, messages, or gestures
California law looks at the whole situation. This can include how serious the conduct was, how often it happened, and how it affected the worker. In some cases, one very serious incident may be enough.
What Are the Grounds for an Irvine, CA, Hostile Work Environment Claim?
The harassment must generally be connected to a protected trait. California law protects workers from harassment based on protected characteristics such as:
- Race, color, or national origin
- Religion
- Sex or gender
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
- Age, for workers age 40 or older
- Physical or mental disability
- Pregnancy or certain medical conditions
The person causing the harassment may be a supervisor, manager, coworker, or someone else in the workplace. Workers are also protected when they report unlawful harassment. An employer generally cannot punish someone for making a good-faith complaint. Firing a worker, cutting their pay, changing their hours, or taking other harmful action because they complained may support a separate retaliation claim.
How Long Do I Have To File a Hostile Work Environment Claim in California?
California places time limits on workplace harassment claims. In most cases, you have three years from the date you were last harmed to file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department. If the harassment happened over time, the deadline may depend on when the most recent unlawful conduct occurred.
If you want to file a lawsuit under California employment discrimination laws, you generally must first go through the Civil Rights Department process and receive a right-to-sue notice. Because missing a deadline can affect your rights, speak with an Irvine hostile work environment attorney about your options as soon as possible.
Call Our Irvine Hostile Work Environment Lawyers Today
You deserve a workplace free from illegal harassment. If you believe you are facing a hostile work environment in Irvine, Elite Employment Law can review your situation and explain your options. Contact our Irvine hostile work environment lawyers today to schedule a free consultation.