Women in the professional world have consistently increased over the past decades. This has not only lead to equal representation of both genders in the work force, it has also opened up other issues involving equal treatment. Although women seek and expect equal treatment in the work environment, this is not always the case. This is where sexual harassment and hostile work environments often exhibit themselves, and Minnesota employees should know their rights in these situations.
The United States banking giant JPMorgan Chase recently settled charges that claimed that the company allowed sexual harassment to occur in one of its offices in Ohio. The workplace harassment led to unfair treatment of sixteen female employees.
All of the females in this class action claim were mortgage brokers that alleged that they were being deprived of lucrative sales calls. They also alleged that their training opportunities were constrained when they did not ’embrace the atmosphere’ in the workplace.
According to reports, an uncivil workplace evolved due to the sexually charged behavior and sexist comments made by supervisors. The treatment of female brokers led to the cause of action, which ultimately resulted in a settlement of $1.45 million.
When an employee believes that they are experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, they should understand what course of actions they should take. It is important that an employee concerned about unfair treatment and sexual harassment report these incidents. This could ultimately lead to a cause of action that could offset the monetary and emotional damages they suffered.
Source: MENAFN.com, “JPMorgan to pay $1.45 mn for sexual harassment,” Feb. 4, 2014