Employment Lawyers in Charleston, West Virginia

Facing a barrage of unwanted sexual advances; requests for sexual favors; and sexually suggestive jokes, comments, and innuendos can be harmful and degrading no matter where it happens. Unfortunately, sexual harassment that occurs at work is particularly insidious because it relies on an imbalanced power dynamic and the fear that you could lose your job or income to make you feel trapped and hopeless.

Here's what your harasser doesn't want you to know: You don't have to put up with sexual harassment in the workplace. A skilled employment attorney can help you take action to hold your employer accountable.

At Bailess Law Firm, we know how difficult it can be to come forward with such personal experiences. Our compassionate and understanding employment lawyers are here to make the process as easy as possible. Here's how we can assist you.

Help You Understand Your Legal Rights and Options

Harassers work hard to make you feel like you don't have any power. However, both state and federal laws protect workers from being sexually harassed on the job. You have the right to work in an environment that's safe and free from unlawful harassment or discrimination. If you were targeted for sexual harassment at work or were subjected to a hostile work environment, we can help you understand your legal rights and options for seeking damages.

Gather Important Evidence

Gathering evidence to support your claim is essential but, for some sexual harassment survivors, doing so can be difficult, time consuming, or even traumatic. We are here to help. In addition to gathering evidence like texts or emails, we can also get statements from others who witnessed or were affected by the harassment, and interview experts to assess the scope of the damages you suffered.

Level the Playing Field

A workplace sexual harassment claim can pit you against an employer's high-powered corporate legal team. Having an experienced employment attorney to represent you throughout litigation levels the playing field, and sends the message that you're serious about your case and receiving fair damages for it.

Prove Your Claim and Help You Recover Damages

Recovering damages for employment sexual harassment requires proving that the conduct in question was unlawful. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature may be considered harassment when:

• Submission is explicitly or implicitly made a condition of your employment
• Submission or rejection is used as the basis for employment decisions
• Conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with work performance, or creating a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment

While what you recover is highly dependent on the facts and evidence in your case, potential damages include lost wages and benefits, related medical costs, and emotional distress damages.

Believe, Support, and Encourage You Throughout the Legal Process

When you're taking legal action to hold an employer accountable for sexual harassment, you need employment attorneys who can serve dual roles as fierce legal advocates, and kind and conscientious counselors. Bailess Law Firm does exactly that. We're here to provide a safe space for you to share your experiences and get the legal services—as well as the protection, guidance, encouragement, validation, and support—you need. However, while you see our softer side, we're known for diligently fighting for our clients at the negotiations table and in the courtroom. We are here for you when you need us, every single step of the way.

Talk to Us About Your Case

Contact Bailess Law Firm today to schedule an appointment for a complimentary review of your West Virginia workplace sexual harassment case. We'll work to determine if your case and our firm are a good fit, but don't worry about the fee. If we accept your case, you pay nothing, ever. That's our guarantee.

If sexual harassment at work has turned your shifts into waking nightmares and HR took no steps to resolve the issue (or you were too afraid to report it), it's likely time to hire an employment attorney to help you fight back against this insidious, illegal, and all-too-common form of discrimination. Unfortunately, no matter how bad the harassment's gotten or how hostile the working environment has become, you may be reluctant to contact an attorney. This could be for any number of reasons but, in our experience, it's often due to concerns about the high cost of legal counsel. Don't let this misconception deter you from seeking the damages—and the justice—you deserve. Here's what you need to know.

Let Us Help You Level the Playing Field

Employers who are engaging in, or turning a blind eye to, workplace sexual harassment work hard to make you think that they have the power—and the financial resources—and you don't. Hiring an attorney to represent you not only levels the legal playing field between you and your employer, it can actually maximize the value of your case. Best of all, it costs you absolutely nothing.

At Bailess Law Firm, our caring and capable team of West Virginia employment attorneys help clients navigate the complex litigation process. We know you've been through a lot, which can make it difficult to know who to trust. We're mindful of these concerns, which is why values like integrity, honesty, transparency, and discretion are key pillars of our practice. At every point, we want you to feel confident in our counsel.

On-the-Job Sexual Harassment Comes in Many Forms

Survivors often doubt and minimize their experiences with workplace sexual harassment. Clients sometimes come to us concerned that they're "making something out of nothing." Rest assured, in our many years of practice, that's rarely if ever, been the case. Far more often, these survivors have fallen for the misconception that if their employer didn't offer them something in exchange for sex, or threaten to fire them if they didn't comply with sexual demands, they didn't experience "true" sexual harassment. Let's lay this myth to rest once and for all. Not all harassment is "quid pro quo" harassment. In fact, hostile work environment harassment, which involves a barrage of unwanted sexual jokes, comments, and other actions that make the workplace offensive or intimidating, is much more common.

The "Cost" of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Don't take for granted the effects that being targeted for continual sexual harassment can have on you as a survivor. From interfering with your job performance to inflicting lasting emotional distress, on-the-job sexual harassment inflicts real harm. We can help you hold your employer accountable.

We Assume the Expense and Risk of Litigation, So You Pay Nothing—Ever

If we accept your workplace sexual harassment case, we front all costs of litigation and assume the associated risk. You pay nothing out of pocket. Ever. No matter what. 

Who Pays Our Fee If We Win Your Case: Understanding Fee-Shifter Agreements

You might find yourself worrying that nothing comes for free—especially legal representation—and that someone will inevitably have to pay us for our legal services at some point. That's true, but you never have to pay anything out of pocket.  We do not get paid unless you recover damages from your case.

Talk to Us About Your Workplace Sexual Harassment Case

Contact Bailess Law Firm to schedule an appointment for a free initial case review. We'll help you understand your legal rights and options, and determine whether your case and our firm are a good match. Don't wait—contact us today.

Quid pro quo harassment is a form of illegal workplace discrimination. If you've been sexually propositioned at work, you may have heard the term “quid pro quo,” and wondered what it meant and whether it describes what you've experienced. Here's what you need to know about quid pro quo sexual harassment in West Virginia, including how our empathetic attorneys can help you recover damages if you've suffered this type of unlawful employment discrimination.

Defining Quid Pro Quo Harassment and Learning to Recognize it in the Workplace

Quid pro quo is a Latin phrase meaning “this for that,” “something for something,” or “a favor for a favor.” When used in a workplace setting, the term describes a particularly insidious type of sexual harassment in which a supervisor, manager, or business owner uses a worker's willingness—or unwillingness—to engage in sexual conduct as a basis for making decisions about their employment.

Quid pro quo harassment is what comes to mind for most people when thinking of on-the-job sexual harassment, since it's the kind most commonly shown in pop culture. You may have seen this sort of harassment play out in popular movies like “Legally Blonde,” “Horrible Bosses” or “Disclosure.” Here are just a few examples of what it might look like in your workplace:

• An employer decides whether to hire, promote, or fire you based on your acceptance or rejection of sexual advances or requests for sexual favors
• A supervisor gives or promises raises, promotions, more favorable assignments or shifts, or other job-related opportunities in exchange for engaging in sexual acts
• A manager threatens to reduce your hours, move you to a less favorable shift or position, fire you, or do something else to negatively affect your job or income if you refuse or discontinue sexual contact
• An employer bases your performance review on whether you comply with their sexual demands, rather than how well you do your job

Think you've experienced quid pro quo sexual harassment in employment? You may be entitled to compensation for damages.

Legal Protections for Workers

Sexually intimidating and harassing employees isn't just morally or ethically wrong, it's against the law. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits sex-based discrimination in employment, including sexual harassment, and applies to companies with 15 or more employees. The West Virginia Human Rights Act (WVHRA), which offers even broader protections, also prohibits employers from engaging in this type of illegal conduct. It applies to employers in the Mountain State with 12 or more workers.

We Can Help You Hold Your Employer Accountable for Sexual Harassment

Being subjected to quid pro quo harassment in the workplace can leave you feeling trapped and without options. Fortunately, that's not the case. You don't have to put up with poor treatment, give in to your boss's demands, or quit your job. At Bailess Law Firm, our caring and capable employment lawyers can help you file a claim to hold your employer accountable for their unlawful behavior. We'll work diligently to gather evidence to build a case that proves:

• You were applying for a position or were employed at the company in question
• You experienced unwanted sexual advances or requests for sexual favors
• The person who harassed you was in a position of authority over you
• Conditional job opportunities were based on your response to your harasser's sexual demands
• You suffered harm as a result of the harassment you experienced

If your claim is successful, you may be able to recover damages for lost wages, lost benefits, lost employment opportunities, and emotional distress—and even get your job back if you were fired.

Talk to Us About Your Case

Facing sexual harassment is challenging—and there's far too much at stake to go it alone. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a complimentary initial consultation to discuss your experiences and how our team can assist you.