Be Careful, Harassment Could Cost Your Organization Millions!

Workplace harassment claims have increased in recent years due to increased media coverage of the the #metoo movement, and other social injustice movements giving employees the courage to break silence. We discuss how to prevent being the next headline that could cost your company exponentially.

Harassment in the Workplace

Several months ago we reviewed “Signs of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.”  Sexual harassment in the workplace is illegal, and should never be taken lightly. Incidents often create subsequent problems that may affect your employee’s career, well-being or even family. And, as one California hospital just recently discovered, sexual harassment can also jeopardize your organization’s reputation, and can be very costly if not appropriately managed and documented.

As an employer you are responsible for preventing, protecting and defending your employees if you suspect sexual harassment is happening. So, what happened just recently in California?!? AOL News just recently posted an article about a California physician’s assistant awarded $168 million as compensation for the sexual harassment she faced as an employee at a California hospital.

The victim told newspapers that within just two years of being employed at the hospital, she lost count on the number of complaints she filed with HR, but said there were at least 18. And, as a strange twist in the situation, her position ended in 2008 when the company dismissed her on grounds of alleged misconduct.