Sexual Harassment in the Technology Industry in New York

Employee-Only Representation for New York Tech Workers

Tech employees in New York navigate a particular kind of workplace pressure. Promotions, equity grants, access to high-visibility projects, and continued employment often flow through the same people who may be engaging in or ignoring harassment. When speaking up feels like it could cost you unvested stock, a promotion cycle, or your position on a critical team, knowing your rights and having the right legal support changes the calculation.

At Arcé Law Group, we represent only employees. We’ve never represented an employer, and we never will. Since 2011, we’ve handled thousands of employment law cases and secured millions in verdicts and settlements. Our consultations are free and confidential, and we work on contingency. You pay nothing unless we secure a recovery for you.

If you’re facing sexual harassment in a New York technology workplace, contact us today at (866) 426-7182 for a free, confidential consultation with no obligation.

Why New York Tech Employees Choose Arcé Law Group

Technology companies often arrive at litigation with large in-house legal teams and well-funded outside counsel. Our track record reflects our ability to take on those opponents.

Results Against Well-Resourced Opponents

We’ve been part of trial teams that secured a $2.5 million sexual harassment verdict, a $4.25 million verdict, a $2.2 million race and retaliation verdict, a $2 million whistleblower retaliation settlement, and a $1.6 million verdict for religious and sexual orientation discrimination. These are past results in prior matters, not guarantees. They reflect our experience in pursuing these matters.

Attorney Credentials & Court Access

Attorney Bryan Arce is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a distinction held by fewer than 1% of U.S. attorneys, reserved for those who have achieved million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Before founding the firm, Bryan served as a Judicial Intern at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the Honorable Erin M. Stilp, giving him direct insight into how federal agencies evaluate harassment claims.

We’re admitted to multiple federal courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of New York. We’re also licensed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Georgia. That matters for tech professionals whose employers or reporting structures cross state lines.

How Sexual Harassment Appears in Tech Workplaces

Quid pro quo harassment in tech can involve conditioning equity grants, promotions, project access, or continued employment on tolerating a founder’s or supervisor’s advances. A hostile work environment can develop through Slack messages, video calls, code review comments, team off-sites, or after-hours messages on work or personal devices.

Startup culture, especially where a single founder controls headcount, funding, and product direction, can create power imbalances that make reporting feel career-ending. For employees holding stock options or unvested equity, the fear of termination before a vesting cliff adds a financial dimension that harassers sometimes exploit. These pressures are real, but they don’t change your legal rights.

Independent contractors and freelancers working for New York City technology companies aren’t excluded. The New York City Human Rights Law extends anti-harassment protections to contractors and freelancers who work more than 80 hours in a calendar year and for at least 90 days within New York City. Digital records from remote or hybrid arrangements, such as chat logs, emails, and calendar entries, can serve as evidence even when no in-person conduct occurred.

Your Legal Protections Under New York Law

Several overlapping legal frameworks protect tech employees in New York. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act covers employers with 15 or more employees. The New York State Human Rights Law, as amended in 2019, no longer requires employees to prove harassment was severe or pervasive. The standard now asks whether the employee was subjected to inferior terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of a protected characteristic, which is a meaningfully lower bar. The New York City Human Rights Law applies to employers with four or more employees within the city and is among the broadest anti-discrimination statutes in the country.

Retaliation is independently unlawful. Demotions, project removals, negative performance reviews, reduced hours, or termination following a harassment report can each constitute retaliation under federal, state, and city law. If you signed an arbitration agreement as part of your offer letter, you may still be able to bring a harassment claim in court. The federal Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, effective March 3, 2022, prohibits employers from enforcing mandatory pre-dispute arbitration clauses for sexual harassment claims.

New York State law also restricts how NDAs can be used in harassment settlements. Employers can’t require a non-disclosure agreement unless confidentiality is the complainant’s preference. Complainants must receive 21 days to consider any NDA provision and 7 days to revoke it after signing. The statute of limitations for harassment claims filed with the New York State Division of Human Rights is three years from the alleged act.

Steps to Take If You’re Facing Harassment at a Tech Company

Acting early protects both your legal deadlines and your evidence. The steps below can make a meaningful difference in how your claim develops.

Preserve Your Digital Evidence

Preserve digital communications before they become inaccessible. Slack messages, emails, texts, calendar invites, and code-review platform comments can all serve as evidence. When harassment occurs in verbal or video-call settings, written notes recording the date, platform, participants, and what was said or done create a contemporaneous record.

Approach HR Reporting Carefully

HR departments at technology companies are often structured to manage risk for the employer, not the employee. Reporting without legal guidance can affect how your claim develops. If you’ve received a severance offer or been asked to sign a separation agreement or general release, don’t sign before consulting an attorney. These agreements can waive legal claims and are often time-limited.

Contact an Attorney Before Deadlines Pass

Filing deadlines vary depending on whether you file with the EEOC, the New York State Division of Human Rights, or directly in court. Reaching out early protects those deadlines. Contact us using a personal device and personal email account, not your work systems. Your consultation is confidential and doesn’t notify your employer.

Talk to Arcé Law Group at No Cost

Our consultations are free, confidential, and carry no obligation. We represent employees at every level, from entry-level developers and contractors to engineering leads, product managers, and executives. Because we work on contingency, there are no upfront legal fees. We collect only if we secure a financial recovery on your behalf.

Call Arcé Law Group today at (866) 426-7182 to speak with our team about your situation. Your first step costs nothing.