Workplaces should foster productivity and professional growth—not intimidation, discomfort, or fear. Yet, for too many California workers, sexual harassment is a reality, lurking behind closed office doors, inappropriate messages, and power imbalances. The law is clear: Workplace sexual harassment is illegal. But understanding your rights, recognizing unlawful behavior, and...
“Hostile work environment” is a commonly misunderstood term. Many employees know that offensive and abusive behavior in the workplace isn’t okay. However, few fully understand what makes a hostile atmosphere cross the line from inappropriate to illegal. In reality, “hostile work environment” is the name for a specific type...
Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act makes it illegal for employers to fail to prevent or remediate work-related sexual harassment regardless of where the harassment occurs. That means you may report coworkers’ sexual harassment that occurs inside...
How Did the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Change History? On March 25, 1911—exactly 110 years ago today—a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in lower Manhattan. Hundreds of workers, primarily young, immigrant women, were locked inside the sweatshop. The locked doors were intentional: they were intended to keep...