Costa Mesa Sexual Harassment Attorney

Workplace sexual harassment sickens you, ruins your ability to work, and instills fear and anger into everything you do. The workplace becomes not only a source of income you need but also a battlefield to survive until you find a new employer. If you are or have been sexually harassed at work, contact a local Costa Mesa sexual harassment attorney now.

Sexual harassment remains a persistent problem in American society. It impacts women and men with no boundaries on race, gender identity, income level, or disability. The local Costa Mesa sexual harassment attorneys at California Employment Counsel, APC, are ready to help. The workplace should be a place to feel safe. We can represent your interests and build a case so you can move on with your life and career.

Under federal law, sexual harassment is:

• Unwelcome sexual advances
• Requests for sexual favors
• Verbal or physical harassment
• Inappropriate statements, gestures, objects, images, and jokes of a sexually explicit nature

Workers of any age, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation can and do experience sexual harassment.

88% of women and 44% of men in California were victims of sexual harassment or assault in 2024. Harassment is more common than assault, but it can also include threats and aggression toward victims. In 2024, is 38% of women and 13% of men have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

Common workplace sexual harassment examples include: 

• Making disparaging or sexist remarks around female coworkers, supervisors, or managers
• Offering a promotion in exchange for sexual favors
• Physically touching another person without consent
• Sending sexually explicit images, photos, texts, or emails to coworkers
• Making sexually explicit jokes or comments about a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity

Sadly, most incidents of sexual harassment go unreported. Employees often fear retaliation, job loss, or worsening hostile working conditions. Others may feel embarrassed or try to laugh it off as a non-serious threat. In California, the state provides stronger protections to employees to prevent the negative personal and professional impacts of sexual harassment.

If you’ve been sexually harassed at work, don’t hide – take pride in your rights, and take control of your workplace. Report the harassment to your employer through an HR department or employee hotline. Next, hire a sexual harassment attorney you can trust from California Employment Counsel, APC, to make a sexual harassment claim. We can negotiate or take your case to the Superior Court of California, County of Orange.

In today’s business world, sexual harassment occurs in the old-fashioned way and with modern twists. Many of these sound familiar, like a broken record on replay, and others are new ways sexual harassers attempt to hide behind technology or become criminally aggressive. Be wary of the following avenues of sexual harassment: 

Verbal Harassment 

This occurs in the office during breaks, meetings, or group events. It involves an abuser making noises, using sexist slurs, or engaging in disrespectful language. An abuser may call you names, describe body parts, or ask sexual questions.

Cyber Harassment 

Through this method, a harasser sends you sexual content without your permission. Content may be generated by AI technology or created by the harasser. They may contact you outside work during video game play, on social sites, or via social media. Many cyber harassers create fake content and post it if you don’t comply with their sexual requests.

Dating Coercion or Sexual Threats

It is sexual harassment when a coworker or other employee contacts you outside work and threatens to harm you or a loved one. They may also threaten to release information about you. Harassers may say that you have to date them in exchange for a favorable review, a better grade, or something similar. Harassers often repeatedly request favors or contact you after you’ve turned them down or ignored them.

Physically Aggressive Sexual Harassment

This occurs when a harasser flashes you or exposes themselves to you at work without your permission. An abuser may follow you around the office, purposely run into you, or touch you in a sexual way without permission. Aggressive harassment frequently occurs at employer events, celebrations, or group meetings.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is treated alongside sex discrimination, which violates the Federal Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).

Under California law, sexual harassment doesn’t have to be motivated by sexual desire; it can also be inflicted based on perceived sex or gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or other medical conditions. Sexual harassment includes offensive harassment of a person of the same sex and any actions that contribute to a hostile work environment.

In California, victims can file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

If you’ve been a victim of sexual harassment at work, don’t hesitate or suffer in silence. Reach out and defend your rights. Consult a Costa Mesa sexual harassment lawyer at California Employment Counsel, APC. Let a defense lawyer from our team build a civil or criminal claim against your employer and harasser.

With a civil legal claim, victims can pursue compensation for: 

• Lost wages and back pay
• Emotional distress
• Attorney fees
• Job reinstatement

Sexual harassment negatively impacts a business’s operations and culture. When employers allow sexual harassment to occur, the work culture shifts to one of distrust. Employees can’t believe in leaders or trust co-workers, managers, or supervisors. Workers who experience sexual harassment and those who witness sexual harassment are affected.

Sexual harassment is frequently considered benign, but it has a negative impact on health. A 2024 study found that both women and men who experienced sexual harassment at work had higher incidents of suicide, alcoholism, drug use, anxiety, and depression.

Contact an experienced and assertive sexual harassment lawyer today from California Employment Counsel, APC. Let us get started on your sexual harassment case.