Recent Enforcement Activity Signals Increased EEOC Focus on Harassment
September 10, 2018
In the latest sign of an increased emphasis on harassment, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced filing seven lawsuits against various employers charging them with harassment. Five of these claims involved alleged sexual harassment, two alleged racial harassment, and one also included a claim of harassment based on national origin. Many of these types of claims can be avoided with good policies, effective training, and consistent enforcement and compliance. The increased emphasis on harassment should come of no real surprise. Back in 2016, the EEOC released a special report on the extent of sex, race, and other unlawful harassment. The EEOC reconvened this same task force in June of this year, setting forth a special focus on sex harassment in light of the #MeToo movement. Contact SESCO to ensure policies are compliant and that you are employing best practices to avoid harassment claims such as those targeted by the EEOC.
