San Francisco Workplace Harassment Lawyer

Trusted workplace harassment attorneys fighting for employees in San Francisco, CA since 1992.

If you’ve been harassed at work in San Francisco, CA, you may be angry, confused, and unsure what to do next. Our San Francisco, CA workplace harassment lawyer represents employees who’ve been subjected to harassment in the workplace, including sexual harassment, hostile work environments, and harassment tied to race, gender, LGBTQ+ identity, religion, age, disability, and more. At The Bloom Firm, we take cases on contingency, which means you pay nothing unless we win. Your first consultation is free.

Workplace Harassment Lawyer San Francisco, CA

What does it mean to have a workplace harassment claim? Harassment at work becomes legally actionable when it’s based on a protected characteristic, such as sex, race, national origin, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation. And when it’s either severe enough to stand on its own or pervasive enough that it’s altered the conditions of your employment. This could be a supervisor who makes unwanted physical contact, demeans you repeatedly in front of colleagues, or threatens your job because you won’t go along with something offensive. California law provides broader protections than federal law in several respects, and San Francisco workers have access to some of the strongest employment protections in the country.

Types of Workplace Harassment Cases We Handle in San Francisco

The Bloom Firm represents employees across a range of workplace harassment matters. Below is an overview of the areas we handle for San Francisco clients.

Sexual harassment. This includes quid pro quo harassment, where someone in authority makes your job conditional on sexual favors, as well as pervasive unwanted conduct like inappropriate jokes, unwanted touching, and sexual favoritism. We also handle retaliation claims for employees who reported harassment and were punished for it.

Sexual orientation discrimination. Harassment targeting someone because of their sexual orientation is prohibited under California law. This includes degrading comments, hostile treatment, or pressure to conform to someone else’s expectations about how you should present.

LGBTQ+ discrimination. We represent transgender employees subjected to deadnaming, misgendering, and related conduct, as well as anyone harassed because of their gender identity or expression.

Hostile work environment. When harassment becomes so pervasive that it fundamentally changes your day-to-day experience at work, you may have a hostile work environment claim regardless of whether a supervisor was the source.

Age discrimination. Employees 40 and older are protected from harassment and discriminatory treatment under both state and federal law. We represent workers who’ve been targeted because of their age.

High-profile sexual harassment. We have substantial experience representing clients in cases involving well-known figures, including photographers, producers, executives, and others. These cases require discretion, strategy, and litigation experience.

Retaliation. Reporting harassment to HR, to a supervisor, or to a government agency, is legally protected. If your employer responded by demoting you, cutting your hours, or terminating you, that retaliation may be its own independent claim.

Sexual favoritism. When an employer or supervisor grants preferential treatment to employees based on a romantic or sexual relationship, it can create a hostile environment for coworkers who aren’t part of that dynamic.

Why Choose The Bloom Firm for Workplace Harassment in San Francisco, CA?

A Record of Results

Lisa Bloom founded The Bloom Firm in 2010 and has been practicing law since she was admitted to the California Bar in 1992. She’s a Yale Law School graduate who has tried harassment and discrimination cases for decades. Lisa is a regular legal analyst on CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, and has been selected as a Super Lawyer every year since 2015.

Our employment lawyer in San Francisco, CA handles the full range of employee-side employment matters in the Bay Area. If you have questions, please contact us today.

Results That Matter

The Bloom Firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars for clients in harassment, discrimination, and civil rights matters. Our case results include an $11 million sexual harassment verdict, an $8.4 million sexual harassment jury verdict, a $35.5 million result, and a $1.8 million award secured under the California Equal Pay Act in September 2025. We take workplace harassment cases on contingency, so nothing is owed unless we recover for you.

Understanding Workplace Harassment Cases

Conduct, Liability, and Compensation in Workplace Harassment Cases

To establish a claim, an employee generally needs to show that the conduct was based on a protected characteristic, that it was severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile working environment or resulted in a concrete adverse employment action, and that the employer knew or should have known about it. Key concepts that come up frequently in these cases:

Severe vs. pervasive conduct: A single incident may support a claim if it’s severe enough. Less extreme conduct typically needs to be repeated or ongoing to meet the legal threshold.
Employer liability. When the harasser is a supervisor, employers face different liability standards than when a coworker or third party is responsible. Employers who had a harassment policy and responded promptly may have defenses, but those defenses have limits.
Constructive discharge. If conditions became so intolerable that you felt you had no real choice but to quit, California law may treat your resignation as a termination for purposes of your claim.
Retaliation as a standalone claim. Opposing harassment or filing a complaint is legally protected activity. Adverse action taken in response to that, even if the underlying harassment claim doesn’t succeed, can be independently actionable.
Economic and non-economic damages. Recoverable losses in harassment cases include back pay, lost future earnings, emotional distress damages, and in some cases punitive damages where the employer’s conduct was especially egregious.

Important Aspects in Your Workplace Harassment Case

Documentation matters more than most clients realize when they first contact us. Courts and juries respond to specifics, such as dates, what was said, who witnessed it, and how you responded. A few things that often affect case outcomes:

Whether the harassment was reported internally, and how the employer responded.
Whether you were subjected to any adverse employment action (discipline, demotion, termination) around the time harassment occurred or after you complained.
Whether there are other employees who experienced similar treatment.
Whether you have any written records, texts, emails, or other documentation of the conduct.

California’s statute of limitations for filing a workplace harassment complaint with the California Civil Rights Department is generally three years from the date of the most recent act of harassment. Missing that deadline can bar your claim, which is why speaking with an attorney early on in the process matters.

Workplace Harassment Case Timeline

No two cases move on exactly the same schedule, but here’s a general sense of how these matters typically progress:

Initial consultation and case evaluation. We assess the facts, identify the claims, and determine whether filing with the California Civil Rights Department or proceeding directly in court makes more sense for your situation.
Administrative charge or civil filing. Many California workplace harassment cases are filed directly in court. If an administrative charge is filed first, there are deadlines and procedures that govern the process.
Discovery. Both sides exchange documents, conduct depositions, and gather evidence. This phase can take months and is often where cases are won or lost.
Mediation or settlement negotiations. A significant number of cases resolve before trial, sometimes at mediation and through direct negotiation.
Trial. If the case doesn’t settle, it goes before a judge or jury.

What to Bring to Your Workplace Harassment Consultation

The more specific information you can share at the outset, the more useful our initial conversation will be. If you have them, bring:

Any written records of the harassment, including emails, texts, performance reviews, disciplinary notices.
Notes you’ve kept about incidents, including dates and who was present.
Any HR complaints you filed, and any responses you received.
Documents related to any employment action taken after you complained.

California Legal Resources for Workplace Harassment

California provides strong protections for workers who’ve experienced harassment on the job. The following resources are useful starting points for understanding the legal framework and your rights.

California Government Code § 12940(j): Defines workplace harassment as an unlawful employment practice under FEHA. The statute prohibits harassment based on protected characteristics, including race, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, and other categories. It covers both quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environment claims.
California Government Code § 12940(k): Requires employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent and correct workplace harassment. Failure to implement anti-harassment policies, conduct required training, or respond appropriately to employee complaints is independently actionable under this section.
California Government Code § 12923: Legislative findings clarifying the legal standard for workplace harassment claims. A single severe incident can be sufficient to create a hostile work environment. Harassment does not need to be repeated, ongoing, or part of a pattern to be actionable under California law.

Reach Out to The Bloom Firm to Schedule a Consultation

If you’ve been harassed at work in San Francisco, CA, we want to hear from you. We represent employees on contingency, which means there are no upfront fees, and you owe nothing unless we win your case. Consultations are free and confidential. Contact us to schedule your consultation with The Bloom Firm.