News Notes: Whats A Sexual Harassment Claim Worth?

A mediator charged with dividing up a $10 million settlement among 120 female sales representatives for drug maker Astra USA Inc. has come up with the novel approach of placing a dollar value on different types of sexual harassment. Fondling or requests for sex by high-level managers drew $250,000; frequent touching by low-level supervisors was worth $150,000; and persistent verbal harassment by a mid-level manager netted claimants $75,000. Isolated incidents of verbal harassment by low or mid-level managers paid just $25,000.