You Can’t Afford to NOT Have It.
We’ve all seen the recent media coverage of inappropriate conduct and outright sexual harassment by high-profile individuals. And now we have the #MeToo Movement. (And I fully support it, by the way.) Here are some facts that may shock you about the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace.
1. In FY 2015 Forty-five percent of the EEOC’s harassment claims were sex-based.
In that year the EEOC received over 28,000 harassment claims for both private and public employers (e.g. government). A majority of this 45 percent were sex-based claims. Other types of harassment claims included harassment on the basis of race, disability, age, national origin and religion. Even though many harassment claims go unreported those that are reported are overwhelmingly due to sexual harassment. If someone is asking for a sexual favor, making any kind of sexual advance, sexual comments or doing anything in a sexual nature at work, it would be considered harassment.
2. At least 25 percent of women have been sexually harassed at work.
Let that sink in. At least one in four women experience sexual harassment in the workplace. Some studies have determined the actual number is even higher. Regardless, even at 25 % the number of women who experience sexual harassment in the workplace is still disturbingly high and totally unacceptable.
3. Sexual harassment claims cost businesses hundreds of millions of dollars.
In 2015, the EEOC recovered $164 million for workers alleging harassment at work. But that number doesn’t even include money recovered by private attorneys representing employees! In addition to the monetary settlements and award, employers face staggering legal fees not to mention a seriously disrupted workplace due to having to deal with the inconvenience of litigation.
The level of awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace has risen to a point that any employer who doesn’t take pro-active action to prevent it is doing so at their own peril It is more important than ever that employers take steps to ensure their employees are well trained on this subject in order to ensure employees are working in an environment where they feel safe and valued.
And if that wasn’t enough incentive, did you know that companies with a solid anti-harassment policy that all employees are aware of, and which has a clear and procedure through which victims of harassment can report it have an added defense to claims of supervisors’ harassment of their subordinates. This is because if the employee fails to avail herself of the reporting procedure she loses her right to sue. As a result, the time and money a company spends on this training can not only prevent harassment from happening, in the first place, but if it does happen, it can assist a company in mitigating the damage through an immediate response to the complaint, and in the event the employee fails to report it, it can help the company to avoid liability entirely. Quite simply, it is a layer of protection no company can afford to not have.