Harassment Law
Harassment happens to many people at work and in daily life. When it occurs to you, whether from other workers or your employer, you have the right to take a stand against it. Discrimination can be damaging not just to the way you feel but to your quality of life and abilities to advance in a field. At The Law Office of Vanessa D. Torres, P.A., we work closely with our clients to ensure the very best legal representation, even in these very challenging legal situations.
If you have been harassed in any way, reach out to us. This may include sexual harassment, harassment over a disability, or comments or actions taken as a result of your religion, sexual orientation, gender, race, ethnic background, or other factors. Let Attorney Torres answer your questions and help you to learn more about what your legal rights are in your specific situation.
With years of experience, you can depend on me as your harassment attorney in Coral Gables, FL. Serving all of Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, I am here to answer your questions and give you the guidance and support you need to move forward. Set up a consultation today.
FLORIDA WORKPLACE HARASSMENT ATTORNEY
Laws have been specifically designed to protect anyone who is on the receiving end of physical or verbal harassment because of sex, race, color, age, disability, religion, and more
As an experienced Florida workplace harassment lawyer, I can help you:
- Understand your rights according to state and federal laws
- Assess whether you have a legitimate workplace harassment complaint
- Pursue legal action if you have been harassed
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION?
Discrimination and harassment in the workplace are both unlawful.
- Discrimination is being treated differently to others on the basis of other prohibited categories such as national origin, race/color, gender, religion, etc.
- Harassment is being mistreated by another person based on prohibited categories such as national origin, race/color, gender, religion, etc.
In simple terms, discrimination often feels unfair whereas harassment may feel intimidating or abusive. Discrimination and harassment violate both federal and Florida state employment laws.
In some cases, what starts as discrimination may evolve into harassment.
WHAT CONSTITUTES WORKPLACE HARASSMENT?
If you are looked over for a promotion that you think you deserve based on the results you have achieved, and you suspect it is because of your gender, you may have a case for workplace discrimination. However, if you are on the receiving end of lewd, offensive or derogatory remarks from your boss, you may have a case for workplace harassment.
This applies equally to ethnic slurs or racist jokes: this is workplace harassment based on national origin or race.
It should not be tolerated any more than physical threats should be.
Some other specific examples of offensive conduct that constitute workplace harassment include:
- Offensive jokes
- Epithets or name calling
- Physical assaults or threats
- Intimidation
- Ridicule or mockery
- Insults or put-downs
- Offensive objects or pictures
- Interference with work performance
Harassment can occur from many workplace entities, including:
- The victim’s supervisor or a supervisor in another area
- An agent of the employer
- A coworker
- A non-employee of the organization
Also, note that the victim does not have to be the person harassed but can be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
Furthermore, it does not have to involve economic injury to the victim.
HOW TO PROVE WORKPLACE HARASSMENT
Many types of workplace conduct can be grounds for a harassment lawsuit. These types of behaviors can include:
- Physical conduct, such as assault, unwanted touching, indecent gestures, and sexual advances; and
- Verbal conduct, like name-calling, threats, slurs, insults, sexual comments, or intimidation.
These types of conduct may violate the law when they are unwelcome and the victim is a member of a protected class. Additionally, a victim needs to be able to show that the conduct is severe and pervasive enough that a reasonable person finds the conduct rises to the level of harassment, abuse, or hostility. If you have experienced hostile or harassing conduct by your colleagues or superiors, be sure to contact a workplace harassment attorney in Florida as soon as possible.
In some cases, just a single act can constitute a hostile work environment and give rise to a valid workplace harassment claim. But in most circumstances, to prove workplace harassment, the harassing behavior will need to be both severe and take place over an extended period of time to support a claim.
Additionally, documenting any harassment in real-time, such as keeping any hostile emails, vulgar voicemail recordings, lewd texts, and any contemporaneous notes, reports, or other materials can help prove your harassment claim. Your workplace harassment lawyer in Florida will be able to give you details about materials that can help prove or support your specific case. Documenting everything possible, including noting the date, time, location, and events can help strengthen or prove a claim of workplace harassment.
Were Here to Assist you
Throughout, The law office or Vanessa D. Torres should be readily available when you have questions or need a consultation as you navigate the process, which may include:
Our Working Process
1. Planning The Case
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Questions You May Wonder?
People often turn to lawyers as a last resort after the contract has been signed, a spouse has walked out, or a creditor is threatening. But just like regular medical checkups, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” when it comes to legal matters.
Good legal advice can not only save you money in the long run, but also save you from unpleasant difficulties later.
Situations in which you should consider consulting a lawyer include:
- Before buying or selling real estate.
- Before signing a contract with major financial provisions.
- Before making a will or planning your estate.
- Before organizing a business.
- If you are arrested or charged with a crime.
- When you are involved in an accident in which there is significant damage to persons or property.
- When there are changes in your family status, such as marriage, adoption, or divorce.
- When you have tax problems or questions.
- When a lawsuit is brought against you, or you want to bring a lawsuit against someone.
Lawyers base their fees on different facts, including the difficulty of a particular legal task, the amount of time involved, the experience and skill of the lawyer in the particular area of law and the lawyer’s cost of doing business. The cost of doing business, referred to as overhead, usually includes rent, equipment, salaries and the cost of maintaining the lawyer’s level of professional skills and education. A lawyer’s overhead normally is 35 percent to 50 percent of the legal fees charged.
A lawyer’s services normally involve research, investigation and case preparation. Most of the work is done after the client leaves the lawyer’s office and can be very time-consuming. As a result, the client is often unaware of the amount of time a given legal matter will actually take.
A client should always discuss the prospective charges at the first meeting with the lawyer. At the initial meeting, the lawyer and the client should discuss the time anticipated to resolve the case, the difficulties likely to be encountered, and the complexity of the legal issues in the particular case. An early agreement concerning fees will prevent surprises and misunderstandings for both the client and the lawyer. You should be prepared to decide how much money you can afford to invest in the resolution of the problem. The lawyer/client relationship involves a mutual commitment. Both parties have a need from the outset to have a full and complete understanding of the commitment.
At The Law Office Of Vanessa D Torres, your case will be handled by experienced legal professionals from our Law clerks, paralegals, legal case managers and our dedicated attorneys
