Attorney Client Privilege
We here at the Law Office of Jim Zadeh have represented victims of sexual harassment for over 15 years. A couple of the things that our clients worry about is who is going to find out about this and if those that do find out, are they going to think less of me. First of all, I want everybody to know that if they come see us we do a free consultation. Anything discussed is considered attorney-client privilege and we do not share that information. Because we realize the potential for pain caused by the sexual harassment situation, we keep any information shared close to the vest and close to our hearts. So, if you have been sexually harassed at work and you’re afraid if you tell someone at work, that it could lead to your coworkers finding out due to the investigation your company will be conducting, and you are in fear that everyone will be talking about you, please understand that there are procedures in place to prevent this from happening. First of all, when you make a report to your company, your company should keep that confidential. In fact, if you report something to them regarding a medical issue or some sort of sexual harassment issue, there are laws in place that would prevent them from disclosing that information. One example is anti-retaliation; if you make a complaint, and they retaliate against you by disseminating it to people who don't need to know, then that is clearly retaliation against you. So, let's say that they go ahead and do that, then you will have a good claim for retaliation, and you can hopefully prevail and get compensation for that, but still your reputation is ruined with the company. What we have found often times is that the people who have been severely sexually harassed need to get out of that environment, they are in a toxic environment that the sexual harassers made it virtually impossible for them to survive. People who have been harassed usually experience some sort of posttraumatic stress disorder going back in the same workplace, because they don’t want to see the same people. Once we are able to get them out of that toxic environment and get them into an environment that is just a normal workplace, they are no longer worried about what those people thought about them, because they were not at fault. Let me be clear, it is not your fault, you are the victim and they put you in that spot, and so there are laws that will protect you to be able to talk so that they do not disclose it; but if they do, perhaps it’s best to just get out and find somewhere else to work while you pursue your legal rights.
