9. If they knew it was happening and did nothing about it, both employers and employees can be sued for Sexual Harassment. (And employees can be arrested if the sexual harassment is really sexual assault.)
Sexual Harassment lawsuits are continually highlighted in the news and the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) reports that Sexual Harassment in U.S. companies is very common—even so many years after the implementation of the Sexual Harassment Prevention Laws.
Sexual Harassment lawsuits can cost your organization hundreds of thousands of dollars per case—money that could be better spent for things like capital improvements and salary increases. As an employer, you can be sued because you should have known Sexual Harassment was happening, especially since all management personnel are instructed to report such incidents.
Employees who commit Sexual Harassment can also be sued, especially if the incident is really sexual assault. These lawsuits become public very quickly; they can destroy an organization’s reputation and affect employee morale. This is why training, policy distribution and prevention are so important.
Contact Randi Frank if your company’s Sexual Harassment policy or training program isn’t up to date. Randi can give you a quote for Sexual Harassment Prevention Training and Policy Development.
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