San Francisco, CA employment attorney Traci M. Hinden talks about how to know if you have a case for sexual harassment at work. She describes how employees may have a strong claim for sexual harassment or sexual assault when they experience unwelcome conduct in the workplace, including inappropriate comments, unwanted physical contact, assault, or rape. She notes that, similar to other forms of harassment, unwelcome comments or conduct related to an individual’s sexuality or gender may constitute sexual harassment. She emphasizes that employees should take such conduct seriously, particularly when the behavior is unwanted or makes them feel uncomfortable in the workplace.

She also explains that sexual harassment can include pregnancy-related comments or conduct. She provides an example of a client who was mocked about her pregnancy when coworkers or others commented that her feet looked like “Shrek feet.” She notes that although the conduct was specifically related to the client’s pregnancy, pregnancy is protected under laws addressing sex or gender discrimination, meaning the employee may have legal protection against this type of harassment.