Sexual Harassment Lawyer in San Mateo

San Mateo sexual harassment cases are pursued under California's broad employment-protection framework, including FEHA (Government Code section 12940), Title VII, and Labor Code sections 1102.5/6310. Strict filing deadlines apply: CRD 3 years; EEOC 300 days. We represent employees only, never employers. Free confidential consultation.

What Is Sexual Harassment in San Mateo

Sexual harassment in San Mateo happens in the same places you go every day: patient floors at the Sutter Health Mills-Peninsula Medical Center - San Mateo Campus (100 South San Mateo Drive) and the larger Mills-Peninsula Burlingame Campus (1501 Trousdale Drive - 241-bed not-for-profit general medical and surgical hospital) and the San Mateo Medical Center (San Mateo County's primary safety-net public hospital); financial-services and professional-services firms across downtown San Mateo; classrooms across the San Mateo Union High School District / SMUHSD, the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District / SMFCSD, and the College of San Mateo (1700 W. Hillsdale Boulevard - part of the San Mateo County Community College District); retail at Hillsdale Shopping Center, B Street, 25th Avenue, and El Camino Real; hospitality and event-staff jobs at the San Mateo County Event Center (1346 Saratoga Drive); the San Mateo Police Department; the San Mateo Central Branch Courthouse (800 North Humboldt Street); and City of San Mateo offices at 330 W. 20th Avenue. The most common San Mateo pattern is unwanted touching, comments, or pressure from a supervisor, coworker, patient, or customer, followed by retaliation when the worker reports it.

San Mateo Industries Where Sexual Harassment Is Most Common

• Healthcare workers - at the Sutter Health Mills-Peninsula Medical Center - San Mateo Campus (100 South San Mateo Drive, San Mateo, CA 94401, (650) 696-5400) and the larger Mills-Peninsula Burlingame Campus (1501 Trousdale Drive - 241-bed not-for-profit general medical and surgical hospital), plus the San Mateo Medical Center (San Mateo County's primary safety-net public hospital, operated by the County of San Mateo Health System). Covered by SB 525 healthcare worker minimum-wage schedule (Cal. Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) and California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 ($25,000-per-violation civil penalty for patient-safety retaliation). San Mateo Medical Center employees, as county employees, are subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• Financial services and professional services workers - at the many financial-services and professional-services firms across downtown San Mateo. Public-company employees are protected by Sarbanes-Oxley (18 U.S.C. section 1514A) for accounting/securities fraud whistleblower claims and Dodd-Frank section 922 (15 U.S.C. section 78u-6). Banking-sector workers have additional 12 U.S.C. section 1831j whistleblower protection.
• K-12 and higher education workers - at the San Mateo Union High School District / SMUHSD (9-12 in San Mateo, Burlingame, Hillsborough, and surrounding cities), the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District / SMFCSD (K-8), and the College of San Mateo (1700 W. Hillsdale Boulevard - part of the San Mateo County Community College District). Protected by Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194 due-process rights, California Whistleblower Protection Act (Cal. Gov. Code section 8547), and the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.
• Retail, restaurant, and hospitality workers - at the Hillsdale Shopping Center, B Street, 25th Avenue, and El Camino Real retail centers, plus hospitality and event-staff jobs at the San Mateo County Event Center (1346 Saratoga Drive - hosts the San Mateo County Fair and numerous trade shows). San Mateo workers covered by the San Mateo Minimum Wage Ordinance earn $18.60/hour effective January 1, 2026. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (Cal. Labor Code section 1474).
• Government and public-sector workers - at the City of San Mateo (330 W. 20th Avenue), the San Mateo Police Department (SMPD officers subject to POBR / Cal. Gov. Code section 3300 et seq.), and the San Mateo Central Branch Courthouse (800 North Humboldt Street, (650) 261-5100). Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline.

San Mateo Local Protections

San Mateo has its own local minimum-wage ordinance. The San Mateo minimum wage is $18.60/hour effective January 1, 2026 for all employees - higher than the California state floor of $16.90/hour and higher than unincorporated San Mateo County's $17.95/hour minimum. San Mateo workers also rely on California state law including SB 525 (healthcare-worker tiered schedule - directly relevant to Mills-Peninsula and San Mateo Medical Center workers) and AB 1228 ($20/hour fast-food).

Sexual harassment in San Mateo is governed by FEHA (Cal. Government Code section 12940(j)), which covers any San Mateo employer with 1 or more employees for harassment claims, and by federal Title VII (15 or more employees). California also requires sexual-harassment prevention training for all employees of companies with 5 or more workers (Cal. Government Code section 12950.1).

California Law

California gives you broad statewide protection against sexual harassment. For the full statutory framework, deadlines, and how the state laws fit together, see our California employment law page and the in-depth California Sexual Harassment Guide.

What Compensation Can You Recover

California does not cap damages for sexual harassment claims. For a full breakdown of what you can recover, see the California Sexual Harassment Guide.

How to File a Sexual Harassment Claim in San Mateo

Civil employment lawsuits filed by San Mateo workers are heard at the San Mateo County Superior Court, Southern Branch Hall of Justice and Records, 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063. For agency contacts, deadlines, and the full filing process, see our California employment law page. We handle the filing process for you, call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.