California Sexual Harassment Lawyers

Sexual harassment in the workplace falls into one of two categories. The first is quid pro quo, which is not as common today as it once was, but it still does occur. Quid pro quo harassment occurs when one person offers something of value in exchange for sexual favors. In workplaces, the person making the offer is usually someone in an authoritative position, such as a boss or manager. For example, the owner of a company may offer an employee a promotion if they go out on a date with them.

Quid pro quo harassment is quite obvious, which is why it is not seen as commonly today. The second type of sexual harassment is behavior that creates a hostile work environment. A hostile work environment is not one in which an employee simply feels uncomfortable. For a hostile work environment to exist, the harassment must be so pervasive it interferes with the employee’s ability to perform their employment duties. A hostile work environment also involves ongoing behavior, and one cannot be created through a single event. Some common behaviors that could create a hostile work environment are as follows:

• Knowingly invading the personal space of an employee
• Physically touching an employee in an unwelcome manner
• Regularly making jokes, comments, and innuendos of a sexual nature
• Distributing messages or images that are sexual