Sexual Innuendo in the Workplace

Orange County Sexual Harassment Attorney

You may have been advised that if you are being sexually harassed at work, all you need to do is tell the abuser to stop harassing you or to quit your job. That is not always effective, possible, or recommended, however. You have the right to do your job without suffering unwanted physical or verbal harassment, including sexual harassment.

At Harris Grombchevsky LLP, we understand the many forms of sexual harassment, what's at stake, and how to handle it legally. For years, our Orange County employment lawyers have been successfully helping individuals bring claims against harassers and employers and seeking fair compensation.

What Is a Sexual Innuendo?

One form of sexual harassment is sexual innuendo. This practice involves using more suggestive, indirect language rather than directly making sexual remarks. The conduct does not need to include lewd acts or sexual advances. It is simply that the language or conduct discriminates against a person because of his or her sex or gender. Importantly, this includes unwelcome sexual hostile environments created by people of the same sex or gender.

While direct vulgar sexual language may be severe sexual harassment conduct, more subtle sexual remarks may be pervasive sexual harassment conduct. The language hints, or subtly suggests, sexual content without coming right out and saying it. 

When someone uses sexual innuendo and the recipient feels uncomfortable or threatened, it can certainly come under sexual harassment.

Moreover, when it happens on a continuous basis, it is said to be pervasive, making the work environment uncomfortable, hostile, or sexually charged. The victim should report it to the Human Resources Department or the appropriate person in the company. A work environment that includes sexual innuendo regularly can make a victim so uncomfortable that his or her performance begins to suffer.

Fighting Sexual Harassment in Orange County

It is important that, even as you contact our firm for help, you also report sexual harassment to your employer's proper person or department. Employers are liable for sexual or other types of harassment by their supervisors or managers, and the person directly responsible for the behavior can also be the target of a claim. 

We offer a confidential and free case evaluation. Our Irvine sexual innuendo attorneys will go over the facts and determine if you have a case.

Be assured that we are committed to bringing about justice and, where there are damages, pursuing fair compensation.