Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

There are uncomfortable work situations every day that rise to the level of sexual harassment in Los Angeles.

Whether legal or not, many workers believe they can get away with sexual harassment and suffer no consequences. Workplaces where this is the norm must be transformed. People simply shouldn't have to be subjected to this type of behavior on a daily basis, or at all.

Our Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyers have seen the emotional torment that people have endured because they don't want to go to work, feel ostracized or experience trepidation or stress because of their work environment. Our attorneys are prepared to fight to ensure that this doesn't continue.

Sexual harassment allegations doesn't mean a victim should "toughen up," "be apart of the team" or "let it go." This is a serious violation that cannot continue. A victim of sexual harassment may be asked to perform sexual acts in order to get a job or earn a promotion, they may be subjected to unwanted touching, comments or sexual banter.

Co-workers may make sexually based jokes that are inappropriate or make a person feel uncomfortable or send out emails that likewise reference sex and can victimize colleagues.

At any rate, as Business Insurance rightly points out, sexual harassment is a big workplace problem and can be fueled by social media as well as environments where it is allowed to happen.

The trade publication points to more informal work environments, the use of social media by many people and human nature as reasons why sexual harassment is still a big problem in American businesses. Experts say employers should create strongly worded policies, increase training and create a sexual harassment policy to address the issue.

Herman Cain's recent decision to suspend his bid for President because of sexual harassment allegations has brought the issue to the forefront in recent months. In 2010, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported there were nearly 12,000 complaints of sexual harassment.

The article reports that the Society for Human Resource Management reported that 64 percent of organizations got at least one sexual harassment claim in the previous two years. It is an issue that continues coming up, even though it should be preventable with a little common sense, courtesy and decency.

While sexual harassment is still a problem, some 20 to 30 years after it was first recognized as an issue, it has changed, experts say. In years past, victims were asked for sexual favors and, typically, the victims were women. Now, more women are perpetrators compared to the past, and a hostile work environment is the bigger issue rather than asking for sex.

Analysts say that most people who create these environments do so because they don't believe the rules apply to them and they feel they can do what they want. With workplaces becoming less formal, the lines between home and work behavior have become blurred.