Los Angeles, CA employment plaintiffs attorney Navid Yadegar talks about sexual harassment. He explains that sexual harassment generally takes two forms: quid pro quo sexual harassment and hostile work environment sexual harassment. He describes quid pro quo harassment as situations where an employment benefit, such as a promotion or raise, is tied to a request for sexual favors, while hostile work environment harassment involves sexual conduct or behavior that changes the conditions of an employee’s workplace. Examples of hostile work environment conduct can include staring, gawking, inappropriate jokes, or comments about someone’s body, although the conduct generally must be sufficiently severe or pervasive to become legally actionable.

He also points out that retaliation can become an additional issue when an employee reports sexual harassment. In some situations, instead of addressing the employee’s complaint, an employer may respond by taking adverse employment actions, such as demoting the employee or reducing their responsibilities or working conditions.