Los Angeles Workplace Harassment Lawyer
You shouldn’t have to put up with harassment to keep your job. Federal and California laws both protect employees from workplace harassment, and the person doing the harassing doesn’t have to be your boss: it can be a manager, a coworker, or even a client or vendor.
Attorney Sam Setyan represents employees only, never employers, and handles every case personally, from the first call to the final settlement or verdict.
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- No fee unless we win
- Employee-side attorneys
- Hablamos Español
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No Win, No Fee. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Recovered for fired employees
Recovered for sexual harassment survivors
Employment cases handled
Verdict against Costco Wholesale
California Employment Trial Attorney
“People apologize to me for complaining. They’ve usually been told for months that they’re too sensitive, and by the time they call, they half believe it. That’s what a hostile work environment does, and it’s exactly what the law was written for.” – Sam Setyan
Sam represents employees only and handles every case himself, from the first call through resolution. He has handled 500+ employment cases and won a federal jury verdict against Costco Wholesale. As a Los Angeles employment lawyer, Sam also handles wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation claims.
Workplace Harassment Is Illegal Under California and Federal Law
Federal and California laws both protect employees from workplace harassment. The two laws differ, however, and not all claims that qualify under state law will qualify under federal law as well. The most notable difference is that California’s law covers employers regardless of size, without the five-employee minimum that applies to many discrimination claims. Title VII generally covers employers with 15 or more employees.
Another important aspect of harassment laws is that the person doing the harassing doesn’t have to be someone in a position of authority. They could be a manager, supervisor or coworker, but they can even be a client or vendor.
If you believe you’ve been a victim of workplace harassment, Setyan Law APC, a Wrongful Termination and Sexual Harassment Lawyer is here to offer support. Call us today to discuss your case with a Los Angeles workplace harassment attorney.
California vs. Federal Workplace Harassment Law at a Glance
| California (FEHA) | Federal (Title VII) | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum number of employees the employer must have to be covered | 1 | 15 |
| Ability to sue the individual employee who harassed you in addition to the employer | Yes, personally liable under FEHA | No individual liability under Title VII |
| Deadline to file with the government agency | 3 years, with the CRD | 300 days, with the EEOC |
| Deadline to sue after the notice | 1 year | 90 days |
| Cap on compensatory and punitive damages | None under FEHA | $50,000–$300,000 combined under Title VII, depending on employer size |
The ability to bring a claim regardless of the size of the business, hold an individual employee harasser personally liable, and seek damages without Title VII’s statutory cap can make FEHA more favorable than Title VII for many employees. Certain race-based harassment claims under § 1981 have different coverage and damages rules.
What Does Workplace Harassment Look Like in California?
Harassment can come in many forms. Some types of workplace harassment that might violate California or federal law include:
Slurs, “jokes” and comments
These can be said to you, or said about you where you can hear it. The comments don’t have to be aimed at you to count as harassment.
Mockery and mimicry
Mocking your accent, name, body, clothing, or beliefs could constitute harassment.
Being frozen out
Being cut out of meetings, left off of emails, or excluded from the informal conversations where work actually gets decided can be a form of harassment.
Intimidation
This may involve threats, shouting, aggression, being cornered, or being followed at work.
Sabotage
Having information withheld, assignments that are set up to fail, or deadlines moved without telling you in an attempt to harm you or your position at work could be harassment.
Deliberate disrespect of who you are
Using incorrect pronouns or saying your name wrong on purpose, outing someone, and comments about a partner may indicate harassment.
Harassment also may not stop when you leave the office. It may continue in texts, calls, DMs, or social media after hours. Harassment that is tied to who you are is unlawful. For instance, if it’s based on your race, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, you may have a claim for discrimination and harassment. Sexual harassment is also its own type of workplace violation.
What Is a Hostile Work Environment in California?
A random joke in poor taste, or a few annoying comments aren’t enough to qualify as harassment. In order to have a viable claim, behavior must be severe or pervasive, or both. Severe means one instance is bad enough to rise to the level of harassment. Pervasive applies when something that might just be irritating once becomes so common and ongoing that it makes the workplace feel hostile.
Additionally, having a bad manager who is unpleasant to everyone at work isn’t usually enough. The conduct must be tied to a protected characteristic and be severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile or abusive work environment.
Some things that might distinguish between a difficult boss and a harassment case include:
It tracks a protected characteristic, and only you, or only people like you, get that type of treatment.
It’s repeated, and you can produce a record with dates, texts, and witnesses.
Someone in authority knew what was happening, and nothing changed.
Your work, health or standing at the company measurably suffered as a result of the behavior.
Who Is Liable, Your Employer or the Person Who Harassed You?
The party or parties that might be liable in a harassment claim depend on the facts of your case. In the case of harassment by a supervisor, your employer may be directly liable. If it’s your coworker, client or vendor harassing you, your employer may be liable if it knew or should have known about the behavior and failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action. An employee who personally harasses you may also be personally liable, whether or not the company knew about the conduct, under California law. For nonemployee harassment (such as clients or vendors), the extent of the employer’s control over the harasser and its ability to take corrective action also matter.
In many cases, the person suffering from the harassment will say, “I reported it, and HR did nothing.” That is often the center of the case.
Tell us what happened. The consultation is free and confidential, and you pay no fee unless we win.
How Long Do I Have to File a Harassment Claim in California?
Harassment is usually a pattern rather than one incident. This reality can make the starting point a bit less obvious than it is after something like a wrongful firing.
It’s often not one date
If the conduct continued, and more recent instances are still within the filing window, it can pull earlier conduct in with it. Don’t assume the oldest incident doesn’t matter because a deadline has expired. Tell us all of the instances, from the beginning.
What starts a hard deadline
A firing, demotion, or transfer may trigger a separate filing deadline. For a harassment claim, the deadline generally runs from the last incident of harassment, subject to applicable continuing-violation rules.
Within 300 days: file with the EEOC
For a Title VII claim, the EEOC charge deadline in California is generally 300 days. Other federal claims may have different deadlines and filing requirements. Speaking to an attorney as soon as possible is critical to determine whether this time limit matters in your case.
Within 3 years: file with the CRD
Within three years from the date you were last harmed you must file with the Civil Rights Department (CRD). If you are bringing a claim under FEHA, you need to file a CRD complaint before you can sue. You can request an immediate Right-to-Sue notice instead of waiting for an investigation.
After your notice: file your lawsuit
You generally have one year after a CRD Right-to-Sue notice to file your lawsuit (subject to applicable statutory tolling exceptions). For a Title VII claim, you generally must file within 90 days of receiving the EEOC right-to-sue notice. Other federal claims may follow different procedures.
Some claims have strict filing deadlines. Talk to an unlawful firing attorney now so you don’t lose your right to recover.
What Damages Can You Recover in a Harassment Case?
| Type of damages | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Emotional distress | This is the core of a harassment claim. Under Title VII, combined compensatory and punitive damages are capped; FEHA does not impose a comparable statutory cap. |
| Lost wages | If you were fired, cut, or forced out, you may be able to recover for your lost wages or income. |
| Punitive damages | Punitive damages may be available when clear and convincing evidence establishes malice, oppression, or fraud and the applicable requirements for employer liability are met. |
| Attorney’s fees | If you win, FEHA lets the court order your employer to pay your fees, including expert witness costs. |
Nonmonetary remedies
A court may order appropriate relief, such as stopping the practice, changing a policy, or providing training. Depending on the claims and facts, additional remedies, including reasonable accommodations or access to a job opportunity, may also be available.
Why Hire Setyan Law for Your Los Angeles Harassment Case
Harassment cases turn on credibility. When a lawyer is prepared to put a client in front of a jury, they have more leverage. Not all attorneys try cases, but Setyan Law APC, a Wrongful Termination and Sexual Harassment Lawyer tries employment law claims. In May 2026, we secured a unanimous 12–0 federal jury verdict in Talamantes v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, No. 24-cv-00789 (N.D. Cal.). The jury awarded the plaintiff $200,000 in damages. (Results depend on the facts of each case, and no outcome is a prediction about yours.)
When we take on a case, Sam Setyan handles it himself from the first call through resolution. We know our clients, we take their calls, and we care about their cases. If you want to ask us more about how we support our clients, call today for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Workplace Harassment in California
My company only has four employees. Do I still have a case?
Yes. California’s harassment law generally covers employers with one or more employees, without the five-employee minimum that applies to many discrimination claims. Title VII generally covers employers with 15 or more employees. However, certain race-based harassment claims may also be brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1981, which covers employers regardless of size.
Does harassment have to be sexual to be illegal?
No. Harassment based on race, age, disability, religion, national origin, gender identity and sexual orientation are all covered. This is important to understand because sometimes people assume “harassment” has a narrower definition and only applies to sexual harassment, and so they neglect to bring a claim.
My manager is rude to everybody. Is that illegal?
On its own, usually no. The law protects characteristics, not manners. If you’re getting treatment that others aren’t, and it’s tied to who you are, that might be a harassment case.
I reported harassment, and HR did nothing. Does that hurt my case?
No, usually it helps your claim. Once the employer knows about the harassment, it needs to take immediate and appropriate corrective action. Failing to do so may support employer liability and, where the legal requirements are met, a separate failure-to-prevent claim.
I already quit. Do I still have a case?
You might. If the conditions were bad enough that a reasonable person would have felt forced to resign, the law can treat the resignation as a termination.
If I lose, will I have to pay my employer’s legal fees?
Not usually. An employer that wins generally can’t recover fees unless the court finds that the case was frivolous, unreasonable, or groundless when filed, or that the plaintiff continued litigating after it clearly became so.
Contact a Los Angeles Workplace Harassment Lawyer Today
At Setyan Law APC, a Wrongful Termination and Sexual Harassment Lawyer, we offer free consultations for prospective clients. We only represent employees, never employers, and we handle every case with individualized attention and care.
Call 213-618-3655 or contact us online to discuss your case with an experienced Los Angeles workplace harassment lawyer. No fee unless we win. Hablamos español.
Tell us what happened and we will call you back. Your information stays confidential.
No Win, No Fee. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship.
The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contacting Setyan Law does not create an attorney-client relationship.