Glendale Legal Blog

Despite the #MeToo movement and the increased spotlight on sexual harassment, employees in California are still at risk on the job. The acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission noted that the federal agency deals with large numbers of sexual harassment complaints and can be nearly overwhelmed with the frequency of these issues. She noted that harassment continues to be a persistent, pervasive problem in many American workplaces, despite awareness-raising efforts and media exposure.

Following the widespread attention to sexual harassment in industries like news and filmmaking, the EEOC noted that human resources departments have a major role to play in reducing the risk of harassment in the workplace. According to the EEOC, employee training can play a major role in decreasing incidents of harassment. In June 2016, the EEOC released a report on workplace harassment, noting that there are three principles that employers can enforce. These include introducing firm guidelines on how workers treat one another, promoting bystander intervention and enhancing employee education.

When an employee notices that they are being treated unfairly by their employer, they have the opportunity to take action by reporting the misconduct or filing a lawsuit. In some circumstances, however, a supervisor may try to retaliate against the employee for bringing the issue to light. Retaliation is against the law, but some employers still attempt it to punish the whistleblower employee.

It is crucial that employees can recognize retaliation. In this post, we will examine some of the most important examples of workplace retaliation.

While allegations about the misconduct of Harvey Weinstein rocked the entertainment industry in California, similar accusations in media and broadcasting have continued throughout the country. It is not the first time the broadcasting industry has come under scrutiny for enabling sexual harassment. Ten years ago, investigations into an executive running Tribune Broadcasting eventually resulted in his resignation.

In that case, employees and former employees reported sexual innuendo and other behaviors that were encouraged by executives. The employee handbook was rewritten to say that such an atmosphere was necessary for creativity. In the current atmosphere and moving forward, broadcasters should review their employee handbooks, guidelines for reporting sexual harassment and training and see where they need to improve.

While many California women are fans of Nike products, the massive sporting goods manufacturer is facing a lawsuit for gender discrimination in the workplace. The plaintiffs accuse the corporation of intentionally discriminating against women on the job in terms of wages, promotions and employment conditions. In addition, they also say that the company tolerated or ignored sexual harassment and assault, fostering a hostile workplace environment for women. Several former female employees filed the suit and are seeking recognition as a class-action case.

The former employees allege that they were passed over for promotion on the basis of gender discrimination. They said that women's performance was judged by harsher standards than those used for men, meaning that fewer women enjoyed perks like bonuses and stock options. They also cited complaints made to the company's human resources department about discrimination and sexual harassment, and they said that HR ignored or dismissed the complaints without thorough investigation.