California Workplace Bully Harassment Lawyers

California law provides some of the strongest workplace protections in the nation but it takes an experienced attorney to help you fight for your rights.

Under Assembly Bill 2053, “abusive conduct” is conduct of an employer or employee in the workplace, with malice, that a reasonable person would find hostile, offensive, and unrelated to an employer’s legitimate business interests. Notably, “abusive conduct” is not limited to conduct that targets employees because of race, gender, religion, etc. By statute, this may include:

• The repeated infliction of verbal abuse, such as the use of derogatory remarks, insults, and epithets,
• Verbal or physical conduct that a reasonable person would find threatening, intimidating or humiliating, and
• The gratuitous sabotage or undermining of a person’s work performance.

Bullying is a substantial problem in workplaces across the United States. A third of American workers have reported experiencing some form of bullying by managers or coworkers and another 25% reported having witnessed the bullying of a coworker. Abusive work environments can reduce productivity and morale, lead to higher absenteeism and turnover rates, and increase medical and workers’ compensation claims. Under current law, victims of workplace bullying have a legal remedy only if the abuse is related to a protected category (such as race, gender, disability, sexual orientation or age).

Employers who fail to comply with the law may face penalties from the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the state agency charged with enforcing California’s discrimination and harassment laws. The law does not, however, create a civil claim for abusive conduct itself.

Our attorneys are devoted to employee representation for all types of workplace bullying and workplace harassment.