June 20, 2023

4 Ways Remote Employees Can Still be Harassed at Work

Remote employees have become a staple in the US.

Studies suggest that remote employees make up nearly 20 percent of the entire US workforce. In California, roughly 20 percent of adults live in a household where at least one person works remotely five days a week.

Remote work has changed the way we communicate with our colleagues. ZOOM has become the new conference room.

Unfortunately, harassment in the workplace still happens on a regular basis for remote employees.

A 2021 study revealed that 41 percent of Americans say they have been harassed online. The cases of harassment reported are more severe than they were in a similar study conducted in 2017.

How can remote employees be harassed?

Sexual Harassment: harassment online has increased from 5 percent in 2014 to 11 percent in 2021. Digital sexual harassment can involve sending sexually explicit images or videos, making lewd comments during calls, or performing unwanted sexual acts on webcam.
Discrimination: a number of classes protected under California law can still be digitally discriminated against. This can include making racist jokes during calls or posting age discriminating photos in group chats.
Wrongful Termination: remote employees can be let go from their jobs in unlawful ways. As a remote employee, you still have the same rights as if you worked in an office.
Retaliation: remote employees may be retaliated against after reporting a legally protected act. Being denied promotions or being forced to move to an in-office position because of reporting sexual harassment are signs of retaliation.

For remote employees, how can you handle situations like this?

Document incidents: save any emails, copy or screen capture comments from team chats, or even get witnesses who saw an incident unfold.
Report any incidents to your supervisor: notify them as quickly as possible. Hopefully, they will discuss the harassment with the other employee.
Contact Human Resources: your company’s HR can help further deal with the situation. Some companies have anonymous tip lines as well.
Contact an employment lawyer: working with an employment lawyer can help bring your claim to light.

Harassment can be debilitating. Remote employees can face many hardships after being harassed online, including:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Loss of wages after leaving their position
Depression
Anxiety
Fear
Difficulty trusting other colleagues
Isolation

If you were the victim of online harassment at work, you may be entitled to compensation.

Everyone deserves the right to a safe work environment that cultivates inclusion. At C&B Law Group, our LA employment attorneys are ready and willing to defend remote employees treated unfairly in the workplace.

Remote employees that are harassed by colleagues face a digital battle. Working from home, it may feel as if they cannot escape torment from coworkers since there is not a physical office.

If you were the victim of harassment as a remote worker, contact the LA lawyers at C&B Law Group today. We’ve helped recover millions of dollars for clients.

You shouldn’t have to suffer through the pain of being harassed. Let our team assist you during these troubling times.

The statute of limitations for most harassment cases in California is one year. For sexual harassment, the statute of limitations for filing a claim is now three years after the passing of Assembly Bill No. 9.

However, that statute of limitation only applies to cases in which the last incident of sexual harassment occurred on or after January 1, 2020.

Regardless, it can still be beneficial to contact an employment attorney regarding any harassment you’ve suffered as a remote employee.

At C&B Law Group, we have no tolerance for workplace harassment. Our goal is to make sure you receive the justice you deserve.

We have offices in both Burbank and Downtown Los Angeles, and we assist clients all over Southern California.

(866) 747-7333