Have you experienced harassment at work from a co-worker, supervisor, manager, or another person in the workplace? State and federal laws prohibit workplace harassment based on protected characteristics and give employees who suffer such harassment the right to seek financial recovery and justice through a legal claim. Contact Ramage Lykos, LLC for an initial case evaluation with a Pittsburgh workplace harassment attorney to discuss whether you may have a claim and learn how we can help you demand accountability from your employer.
If you’ve experienced unlawful harassment at work, you deserve to seek accountability and relief for the harm you’ve suffered. However, pursuing employment harassment claims can involve challenging factual and legal issues. Your choice of legal counsel can make a difference in the outcome of your case. Turn to an employment law attorney from Ramage Lykos, LLC, to guide you through the legal process and advocate for your interests because of our:
Securing justice in a workplace harassment claim requires understanding. Our team will sit down with you to listen to your story so we can understand your concerns, needs, and objectives. We want to provide you with tailored legal solutions crafted after careful evaluation of your claim’s legal, professional, and financial implications.
We recognize that waiting to hear from your attorney can feel stressful and frustrating. Sometimes, legal advice cannot wait. Our firm will ensure you have the support you need throughout your case. We make ourselves available to you, promptly returning your calls and messages. We also utilize technology to maintain constant contact with you, keeping you updated on the status of your case and providing you with the information you need when you need it.
When you choose us to represent you in a workplace harassment lawsuit, you can expect us to fight as hard as needed to secure the best possible resolution for you. We confront unlawful harassment when we see it. Our attorneys will never back down from advocating for your interests.
Workplace harassment occurs when an employee experiences unwelcome or offensive conduct based on a protected characteristic. Protected characteristics under state and federal employment laws include:
Religious belief
Pregnancy
Workplace harassment can also arise due to an employer’s retaliation against an employee who has filed a claim of discrimination based on a protected characteristic, participated in the investigation or processing of such a claim, or opposed employment practices they believed cause discrimination.
Workplace harassment can lead to legal action by the victim of such harassment when the harassing conduct becomes so severe or pervasive as to create a hostile work environment. Harassment can create a hostile work environment when it intimidates, threatens, or offends an employee to the extent that it would cause a reasonable employee difficulty in doing their job due to anxiety, stress, or fear caused by harassment.
Federal laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibit workplace harassment. Furthermore, in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Human Rights Act also prohibits workplace harassment under state law.Â
Although individuals in the workplace must commit the harassing acts, an employer can bear liability for workplace harassment if their employee suffers an adverse employment action due to the harassment (such as demotion, termination, or denials of promotions or pay raises) or if the employee experiences a hostile work environment. However, a hostile work environment claim will require the employee to show that they reasonably attempted to take advantage of preventative or corrective measures offered by the employee and that the employer failed to take reasonable steps to prevent or correct the harassing behavior.
Actionable workplace harassment requires severe or pervasive conduct. Annoyances, petty slights, or isolated incidents (unless especially severe) usually do not support workplace harassment claims. However, harassment can occur from behaviors such as:
Insults
Threats
Harassment can come from managers, supervisors, company owners, co-workers, or customers/clients. Furthermore, a person can suffer harassment without the harasser targeting them with their conduct; instead, they may suffer harassment simply by observing and taking offense to such conduct.
In a workplace harassment claim, you may have the right to recover compensation for financial and personal losses you sustain due to the hostile work environment you experienced or from adverse employment actions like wrongful termination. Your claim could provide you with financial relief for:
You might also seek injunctive relief to obtain other remedies, such as reinstatement to your job if your employer wrongfully demoted or terminated you, promotion to a position your employer wrongfully denied you, or an order requiring your employer to implement steps to prevent future harassment.
In rare cases, you might also receive an award of punitive damages if a jury in your workplace harassment lawsuit finds that your employer engaged in egregious, wanton, or malicious conduct.
When you experience harassment on the job, steps you should take to protect your rights to pursue legal claims include:
Finally, contact an employment law attorney from Ramage Lykos, LLC, as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.
Under federal law, you have 180 days after the date you last experienced harassment to file a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. However, this deadline extends to 300 days when a state or local agency enforces a state or local law that prohibits workplace harassment on the same basis. When the EEOC issues you a right-to-sue letter authorizing you to file a federal lawsuit, you must file your lawsuit within 90 days of receiving the notice.
Standing up to your employer after experiencing workplace harassment can feel intimidating. An experienced workplace harassment lawyer from Ramage Lykos, LLC can help you pursue a claim against your employer by:
If you’ve been the target of harassment at work, you deserve experienced legal representation to demand accountability from your employer. Let an experienced employment law attorney with Ramage Lykos, LLC, advocate for your rights and interests. Contact us today for a confidential consultation to discuss your legal options for pursuing financial compensation and justice through a workplace harassment claim.
