A Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer helps workers decide whether comments, messages, pressure or touching at work cross the legal line, and what to do about it. Abramson Labor Group represents employees across Los Angeles County from our Burbank office. Case reviews are free and confidential, and we work on contingency.
4.5 stars across 1,900+ Google reviews. No fees unless we win.
Why Choose Abramson Labor Group?
Abramson Labor Group represents employees, never employers. Harassment cases often turn on what the employer knew and when, so the work starts with your timeline and every report you made.
- 4.5 stars across 1,900+ Google reviews (as of September 2026).
- Documented results on our case results page include $1.5 million for a sexual harassment client. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
- Founding partner Zev Abramson started the firm in 2015, earned his J.D. at Loyola Law School, and is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA).
- Free case reviews in English and Spanish.
- Contingency fees: you do not pay attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
How Can a Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyer Help?
A workplace sexual harassment lawyer in Los Angeles tests what happened against California’s standard. The lawyer also checks what the employer did once it knew. Much of that record sits with the employer.
- Building a dated timeline of incidents, reports and any changes to your hours, duties or pay.
- Requesting your personnel file. Under Labor Code section 1198.5, current and former employees or their representative can inspect and copy performance records, generally within 30 calendar days of a written request.
- Reviewing how HR responded to each complaint.
- Checking any arbitration agreement or settlement offer before you sign or rely on it.
- Identifying which state and federal deadlines apply.
What Counts as Sexual Harassment Under California Law?
Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct because of sex that affects the conditions of work. California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) bans it in Government Code section 12940(j), which applies to any employer with one or more employees. Section 12940(j) also states that “sexually harassing conduct need not be motivated by sexual desire.”
State regulations in California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 11019 list the forms it can take:
- Verbal: slurs or derogatory comments.
- Physical: assault, or blocking someone’s movement.
- Visual: posters, cartoons or drawings.
- Sexual favors: “unwanted sexual advances, which condition an employment benefit upon an exchange of sexual favors.”
Section 11019 also protects unpaid interns, volunteers and people working under a contract. The EEOC adds that the victim and harasser “can be the same sex.”
What Does Sexual Harassment Look Like at Work?
These patterns may support a claim, depending on the facts:
- Pressure to date a manager, with better shifts offered or taken away depending on the answer.
- Repeated comments about your body, clothing or sex life.
- Sexual texts, photos or direct messages, including after hours.
- Unwanted touching, hugging or blocking your path.
- Write-ups, cut hours or a schedule change right after you said no or reported it.
Physical contact is not required. Some situations also involve gender discrimination, such as pay or promotion decisions tied to sex.
Quid Pro Quo vs. Hostile Work Environment
Sexual harassment claims usually fall into two patterns, and one case can involve both.
| Quid pro quo | Hostile work environment | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A job benefit is tied to sexual favors | Unwelcome conduct because of sex that makes the job harder to do |
| Who usually does it | Someone with power over hiring, pay, shifts or discipline | A supervisor, coworker or, in some cases, a customer |
| Typical signs | Promotion, shifts or discipline linked to a yes or no | Repeated comments, messages, touching or displays |
| Key source | 2 CCR 11019(b)(2)(D) | Gov. Code 12923 |
Our article on what legally counts as a hostile work environment covers the second pattern in more depth, and California’s hostile work environment laws explains how the rules apply beyond sexual harassment.
Can One Incident Be Enough for a Sexual Harassment Claim?
Yes, it can. In Government Code section 12923, the Legislature states that “a single incident of harassing conduct is sufficient to create a triable issue” when it unreasonably interferes with work or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.
The same section sets other rules that help employees in California:
- A worker does not need to show lost productivity. It is enough that the harassment “so altered working conditions as to make it more difficult to do the job.”
- Comments can count as evidence even when they come from someone who did not make the job decision.
- “The legal standard for sexual harassment should not vary by type of workplace.”
- “Harassment cases are rarely appropriate for disposition on summary judgment.”
Who Is Responsible for Workplace Sexual Harassment?
It depends on who did it. Harassment by the employer, its agents or supervisors “is unlawful” under section 11019(b)(3). For a coworker, under section 12940(j)(1), the employer is liable if it “knows or should have known of this conduct and fails to take immediate and appropriate corrective action.” Different rules apply to harassment by supervisors, so who the harasser was matters.
Employers also have a duty to prevent harassment. Section 12940(k) makes it unlawful “to fail to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent discrimination and harassment from occurring.” If HR ignored your report or the conduct continued, consider speaking with an employment attorney about how that affects your claim. Our article on filing a harassment complaint in California explains how internal and agency complaints differ.
What If Your Employer Retaliates After You Report?
Retaliation is a separate violation. Section 12940(h) bars punishing a person because they “opposed any practices forbidden under this part” or “filed a complaint, testified, or assisted in any proceeding.” That protects witnesses too. Retaliation does not have to be a firing. It can look like:
- Cut hours or loss of preferred shifts.
- A demotion or less desirable duties.
- Sudden negative reviews after years of good ones.
- Being shut out of meetings, training or promotions.
A retaliation claim can stand even if the harassment claim does not. Our workplace retaliation team handles these cases, and our article on what counts as retaliation under California law gives more examples. If you still work there, see suing your employer while still employed.
Did You Sign an Arbitration Agreement?
You may still be able to go to court. Federal law gives you a choice. Under 9 U.S.C. section 402, a person alleging sexual harassment or sexual assault can choose court over a predispute arbitration agreement for that dispute. An employment attorney can review whether it applies to your claims.
What Steps Help Protect a Sexual Harassment Claim?
A dated record made at the time usually carries more weight than memories pieced together months later. Consider these steps:
- Save texts, emails, direct messages and voicemails in their original form.
- Write down each incident soon after it happens: date, place, what was said and who saw it.
- Keep copies of complaints you sent to HR or management and any replies.
- Note changes to your schedule, duties or pay after a rejection or report.
- Keep only documents you are lawfully entitled to keep.
What Compensation May Be Available in a Sexual Harassment Claim?
It depends on the facts and the claims involved. Under FEHA, the California Supreme Court held in Commodore Home Systems v. Superior Court (1982) 32 Cal.3d 211 that “all relief generally available in noncontractual actions,” including punitive damages, may be obtained.
| Possible recovery | What it can cover |
|---|---|
| Lost pay | Wages and benefits lost to a firing, cut hours or a missed promotion |
| Future lost pay | Earnings lost going forward when returning is not realistic |
| Emotional distress | Anxiety, humiliation and stress caused by the harassment |
| Medical or counseling costs | Treatment connected to the harassment |
| Punitive damages | Available under FEHA in cases that meet the legal standard |
| Attorney fees and costs | A court may award them to a winning employee (Gov. Code 12965(c)(6)) |
If the harassment forced you to quit, our article on constructive discharge in California explains when a resignation may be treated as a termination.
How Long Do You Have to File a Sexual Harassment Claim in California?
It depends on the claim. For a FEHA sexual harassment claim, an employee generally must start the process with the California Civil Rights Department within three years of the date last harmed, according to the CRD complaint process page. A right-to-sue notice comes before a lawsuit, and it starts a separate clock.
Federal charges under Title VII cover employers with 15 or more employees and run on a shorter schedule. The EEOC says the usual 180-day limit extends to 300 days where a state or local agency enforces a law against the same discrimination, as its time limits page explains. Do not assume one deadline covers every claim. An employment attorney can evaluate which deadlines apply to your situation.
Sexual Harassment Claims Across Los Angeles County
We serve workers throughout the county from our Burbank office, including Glendale, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley and the Westside. You do not need to visit the office to start. In jobs where one manager controls shifts and tips, such as restaurant work and hotel and hospitality work, saying no can cost hours right away. The same FEHA protections apply in every industry.
Harassment often overlaps with other cases our Los Angeles employment lawyers handle, including firings handled by our Los Angeles wrongful termination lawyer team and age discrimination claims. Our California sexual harassment law overview covers the statewide rules.
FAQs for Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyer
Can a Customer or Client Sexually Harass Me at Work?
Yes, under federal law. The EEOC states that the harasser can be “someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer.” Whether the employer is responsible depends on what it knew and how it responded.
Can Sexual Harassment Happen Between People of the Same Sex?
Yes. The EEOC says the victim and harasser “can be the same sex,” and California’s section 12940(j)(4)(C) says harassing conduct “need not be motivated by sexual desire.”
Am I Protected If I Am an Intern, Volunteer or Contractor?
Yes, for harassment. Under 2 CCR 11019(b)(1), “employee” includes “unpaid interns, volunteers, and persons providing services pursuant to a contract.”
Can You Sue for Harassment in California?
Yes. Under FEHA, you can sue the employer, and under section 12940(j)(3) the employee who harassed you “is personally liable” too. In employment cases, the CRD says you “must obtain an immediate Right-to-Sue notice from CRD before filing your own lawsuit in court,” so the timing of that step matters.
Does My Employer Have to Train Supervisors on Sexual Harassment?
Yes, if it has five or more employees. Government Code section 12950.1 requires at least two hours of training for supervisors and one hour for other employees, repeated once every two years.
Can Text Messages Be Evidence in a Sexual Harassment Case?
Yes. Messages often show exactly what was said and when. Section 12923(c) also confirms that comments can be relevant evidence even when they did not come from the person who made the job decision.
Can a Settlement Require Me to Keep the Harassment Secret?
Generally, no. Code of Civil Procedure section 1001 voids settlement terms that prevent “the disclosure of factual information related to a claim” of sexual harassment filed in court or with an agency. At your request, a settlement can shield your identity instead.
How Much Does a Sexual Harassment Lawyer Cost?
Often nothing upfront. We work on contingency, and our case reviews are free. In a FEHA case, a court may also order the employer to pay a winning employee’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs under section 12965(c)(6). Our article on how much an employment lawyer costs explains fee agreements.
Is It Hard to Win a Harassment Case?
It depends on the evidence, and no attorney can promise an outcome. California law does help employees get their case heard: section 12923 says “harassment cases are rarely appropriate for disposition on summary judgment” and that a single serious incident can be enough. Messages, witnesses and written reports can make the facts easier to prove.
What If the Harassment Included Sexual Assault at Work?
It can support a harassment claim. The state regulations list assault as physical harassment in 2 CCR 11019(b)(2), and 9 U.S.C. section 402 lets a person alleging sexual assault choose court over a predispute arbitration agreement. If you are in danger, contact law enforcement. Other claims and deadlines may also apply, so consider speaking with an employment attorney promptly.
Can I Get a Free Consultation With a Sexual Harassment Lawyer in Los Angeles?
Yes. Abramson Labor Group offers free, confidential case reviews in English and Spanish. You can request a review online or by phone, and you do not need to visit our Burbank office to start.
When You Are Ready to Talk About What Happened
Some workers wait before reaching out because they fear losing shifts or not being believed. If the conduct is continuing, HR has not acted, or your job changed after you said no or reported it, consider speaking with a Los Angeles sexual harassment lawyer. You do not need to have every detail sorted out first.
At Abramson Labor Group, we represent California employees facing sexual harassment. Our case reviews are free and confidential, and we work on contingency. Request a free case evaluation, send us a message, or call (213) 493-6300. You do not pay ANYTHING unless we win!
Last updated: October 2026
This page provides general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.