Articles Discussing Employer Liability For Sexual Harassment In The Workplace.

Employers have little control over employees’ bad, impulsive decisions. However, employers have full control over how they respond to a complaint of harassment. Any employer can ensure it investigates an allegation of harassment. Failure to do so can be costly.

After a tumultuous 2017, federal, state, and local governments have spent the start of 2018 reconsidering their approach toward sexual harassment in the workplace. While the federal government has focused on settlement and arbitration agreements, state governments have attempted a variety of techniques to address sexual harassment. States are considering legislation ranging from additional sexual harassment training, to protecting employees from retaliation when they are the victims of sexual harassment. This article discusses the new laws that seek to combat sexual harassment, as well as those legislative efforts that remain pending.

Dear Littler: I am a senior HR manager at a mid-sized company. One of our female team members just reported her manager, a vice president, for inappropriate conduct. She claims that what started out as mild flirtation on his part has progressed to outright sexual solicitation and unwelcome physical contact. Our company just can’t accept this kind of behavior. Can I go ahead and terminate him immediately?

While EEO compliance remains an important objective for the employer community, minimizing the risk of facing a harassment claim has become a top priority. The weekly, and sometimes daily, headlines of new harassment allegations are ample proof of this.