How To Protect Yourself

A Law Firm Committed to Protecting Employee Rights

At the law firm of Litt, Estuar, Harrison & Kitson, LLP, in Los Angeles, California, we are absolutely committed to the belief that you have the right to be free from discrimination and harassment in the workplace. We fight to protect workers who are subject to injustices in the workplace - but we can only do this with the help of our clients.

If you have been subjected to sexual harassment or employment discrimination, there are several steps you should take to protect yourself and preserve your legal claims.

1. Take notes: Maintain detailed records of all pertinent events. For verbal harassment, record the names of people making offensive or inappropriate comments, the exact things they said, the time and place of such statements and any other people who may have heard these statements. For overtly physical acts, record all pertinent details.
2. Keep copies of documents: If you receive any harassing emails, print them. If you receive other notes that contain evidence of discrimination or harassment, keep them. Any hard-copy documentation that you have will be helpful when pursuing your legal claims.
3. Report harassment and discrimination in writing: If you encounter harassment from a coworker, report your concerns to your boss. If you are encountering discrimination or harassment from your boss, report your concerns to his or her supervisor, the head of the human resources department, or the head of your entire organization. These harassment or discrimination complaints should contain a detailed recitation of the events, all participants, and all observers.
4. Keep records of these reports: Maintain a detailed log of the instances when you report harassment or discrimination, as well as the actions that are taken as a result of these reports.
5. Confront your persecutors: If you are comfortable doing so, you may be able to stop harassment by talking to the responsible parties. Sometimes this can stop harassment - but sometimes it simply makes things worse. Only you can determine whether you are comfortable taking this step.
6. Contact an employment lawyer: If you have reported your concerns within your organization and nothing has changed, or if you feel you need help, contact an employment attorney at Litt, Estuar, Harrison & Kitson, LLP. You have the right to be free from unlawful harassment and discrimination in your workplace.