$15.0M
Recovery for employees denied legally required meal and rest breaks.
Employment
California Workplace Harassment Lawyer
Are you facing unwelcome conduct or a hostile environment at work? At Wilshire Law Firm — an award-winning, nationally recognized team — our attorneys help California employees enforce their rights and pursue compensation. Contact us 24/7 for a free case review with a legal professional — there are no fees unless you get paid.
- $3B+RECOVERED
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- 24/7AVAILABILITY & SUPPORT
- 500+LEGAL PROFESSIONALS
Understanding Your Workplace Harassment Case
Explore essential resources on your rights, your options, and what to expect — everything you need to navigate the legal process, all in one place.
Workplace harassment is unwelcome conduct directed at an employee because of a protected characteristic that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment. Under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA, Government Code §12940), protected characteristics include sex, gender, gender identity or expression, race, national origin or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age (40 and over), and pregnancy. Harassment can take the form of verbal abuse, slurs, offensive jokes, intimidation, unwanted touching, or the display of offensive material.
If you are harassed at work, California law gives you the right to report the conduct and to seek accountability. Generally you may file an internal complaint with your employer, file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD, formerly the DFEH) or the federal EEOC, and pursue a civil claim for damages. Recoverable harm can include emotional distress, lost wages, and other losses caused by the harassment. A legal professional can explain which options fit your situation during a free case review.
Wilshire Law Firm is an award-winning, nationally recognized team that helps California employees stand up to workplace harassment. Our attorneys review your situation, explain your legal options, preserve key evidence, and handle every conversation with your employer and its lawyers with discretion. We represent employees in negotiations and, when necessary, in litigation. There are no fees unless you get paid. Learn more about your protections on our employment law page.
California employers have a legal duty to prevent and promptly correct workplace harassment. Under FEHA, an employer can be held liable for harassment by supervisors, and for co-worker or third-party harassment when it knew or should have known about the conduct and failed to take reasonable corrective action. Employers with five or more employees must also provide harassment-prevention training, though FEHA's harassment protections apply to employers of virtually every size. If your employer ignored or mishandled your complaint, a legal professional can review whether it may be liable.
In most California workplace harassment cases you generally have three years from the last act of harassment to file a complaint with the Civil Rights Department (Government Code §12960). After the CRD issues a right-to-sue notice, you typically have one year to file a lawsuit. A separate federal deadline of 300 days generally applies to charges filed with the EEOC. Because deadlines vary and missing one can end your claim, it's best to speak with a legal professional early.
Meet Our Workplace Harassment Attorneys
Nationally-Recognized Powerhouse, Fighting for the Justice You Deserve
Our award-winning attorneys have recovered billions for clients while taking on insurance companies and major corporations.
John G. Yslas, Esq.Senior Partner, Chair of the Employment Wage & Hour Class Action Department
Mary Lee Caruso, Esq.Senior Partner
Tyler J. Woods, Esq.Senior Partner
Arrash Fattahi, Esq.Partner
Benjamin Haber, Esq.Partner
Nicol Hajjar, Esq.Partner
Diego Aviles, Esq.Junior Partner
Jeffrey Bils, Esq.Junior Partner
Emily Borman, Esq.Junior Partner
Jose Maria D. Patino, Jr., Esq.Junior Partner
Christina M. LeJunior Partner
William M. Pao, Esq.Junior Partner
Eugene Zinovyev, Esq.Junior Partner$12.0M
Recovery for employees denied legally required meal and rest breaks.
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Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Each case is unique and evaluated on its own facts.
How Do I Know If I Have a Workplace Harassment Claim in California?
You likely have a valid claim when three things are present — a protected characteristic, unwelcome conduct, and a hostile work environment or a tangible job consequence. The harassment must be based on a characteristic protected by FEHA, such as sex, race, religion, disability, or age. The conduct must be unwelcome and severe or pervasive enough to alter your working conditions, or tied to a job action like demotion or termination. Because California's filing deadlines apply, contact Wilshire Law Firm's employment attorneys for a free case evaluation.
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Winners of #1 Settlements in California
Our attorneys have recovered billions of dollars, including some of the biggest settlements in California.
17#1 Settlements in California, 2022–2024*
TopVerdict #1TopVerdict.com #1 settlements
1–1 of 17
#1 Truck v. Pedestrian Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Multi-Vehicle Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Equipment Malfunction Settlement
2024
#1 Car v. Stationary Object Collision Settlement
2024
#1 Bus v. Passenger Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Whistleblower Retaliation Settlement
2023
#1 Underinsured Motorist Settlement
2023
#1 Slip & Fall Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Negligent Security Settlement
2023
#1 Ladder Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Hotel Premises Liability Settlement
2023
#1 Car v. Car Collision Settlement
2023
#1 Bicycle Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Pregnancy Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Age/Disability Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Wrongful Termination Settlement
2022
#1 Meal & Rest Breaks Settlement
2022
*#1 settlements in California have been awarded by TopVerdict.com. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Workplace Harassment FAQs
Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
We've answered the most common ones below. If yours isn't here, call us — we're available 24/7.
Workplace harassment is unwelcome conduct directed at an employee because of a protected characteristic, such as race, religion, disability, age, or sex, that creates a hostile or offensive work environment. It can include slurs, threats, offensive jokes, or unwanted physical conduct. A single severe incident or a pattern of conduct may qualify.
Harassment generally involves offensive conduct that creates a hostile work environment, while discrimination usually involves adverse job decisions, like being fired, demoted, or denied a promotion, because of a protected trait. The same situation can involve both. FEHA prohibits each of them.
California employers have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent and promptly correct harassment. Under FEHA, an employer can be liable for harassment by a supervisor, and for coworker harassment it knew or should have known about but failed to address. This duty applies to harassment based on any protected characteristic.
For FEHA harassment claims, employees generally have three years from the last act of harassment to file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by a limited window to sue after receiving a right-to-sue notice. Deadlines have exceptions and depend on the circumstances. Confirm your specific timeline with an attorney promptly.
No. FEHA protects employees who report harassment or take part in an investigation, and retaliation such as termination, demotion, or a cut in hours can be a separate violation. If negative treatment began soon after your complaint, that timing may support a claim. If you believe you were punished for speaking up, our attorneys can review a potential workplace retaliation claim during a free case review.