California prides itself on being at the forefront of protections for a diverse group of employees and workers that keep the state’s economy running. Although many laws and practices protect the victims of sexual harassment, there is still much work to be done.
The last year has seen a reckoning around the world on how women are treated in the workplace and beyond. The Golden State is not unaffected, as recent lawsuits have targeted sexual harassment and discrimination in the venture capital world, high-tech industries and even the state government in Sacramento.
One of the women credited with beginning this charge towards gender equality recently settled a lawsuit over the root cause of her complaint. A resort in Southern California and its staffing agency is paying for alleged retaliation against the woman by a male supervisor who made unwanted sexual advances towards her.
“I think that employers, generally speaking, are going to be much more cautious about going to trial now that women are being believed about their sexual harassment allegations,” said the plaintiff’s attorney.
Lawsuits can do more than earn money for the victim of sexual harassment. They can help change bad behaviors and empower others to come forward. “I don’t want other women to go through what I did,” the plaintiff said. “If I have helped even a single woman feel like she can come forward and speak, it was worth it.”
Any victim of sexual harassment in the workplace has the right to sue the responsible parties. An attorney may help prepare the appropriate documents and forward a case to a successful end.
Source: Time, “California Dishwasher Receives $250,000 Settlement in Prominent #MeToo Case,” Haley Sweetland Edwards, accessed May 30, 2018