Employee receives settlement for sexual harassment incident

On Behalf of | Apr 11, 2014 | Sexual Harassment |

Women in the workforce have encountered various setbacks and pitfalls in the past. Although it is presumed that males and females are treated equally in the workplace, this is not always the case. Some female employees experience unequal treatment when they do not receive comparable salaries and promotion opportunities. In addition to sex discrimination, women in the workplace also experience sexual harassment. These situations often lead to a hostile work environment, and the employee could experience damages.

Following a sexual harassment claim, a Minnesota office furniture and supply company recently reached a settlement. The company agreed to pay a settlement of $11,000 for damages. This claim stemmed from the operations manager allegedly using the security camera system at the company to stream footage of the breasts and body parts of the female employees to his personal computer.

Following investigation, it was determined that management failed to correct or prevent this behavior. Due to this failure, the employee that reported the incident was forced to quit their job to escape a hostile work environment and sexual harassment.

In addition to receiving the $11,000, required changes to the company and how they handle complaints were instituted. This will not only force them to take prompt corrective action but will crate a positive work environment for all employees.

When sexual harassment or sex discrimination occurs in the workplace, this could seriously affect the employee and the entire work environment. If an employee loses pay or their job due to the incident, they could file a cause of action for the damages they suffered.

When incidents of sexual harassments are present in the workplace, it is important that an employee reports it. Furthermore, if not action is taken, they should understand they have additional options. They could seek guidance and assistance to better handle the situation and understand what course of action is available to them.

Source: Business Insurance, “EEOC settles case involving use of security video to ogle female worker,” Judy Greenwald, April 2, 2014