Tag: Sexual Harassment

Avoiding liability risks when you fire a sexual harasser

by Theodore Fong The risks to employers in sexual harassment cases can be big. Potential liability can arise from any decision. Employers may then find themselves having to make tough decisions on tight timelines. The key to ensuring an appropriate response is to be prepared. Preparation will permit an employer to take a proactive approach, […]

Train Against Bad Habits, and Avoid Lawsuits Like These

The adage “old habits die hard” seems particularly applicable to a rash of lawsuits recently filed and settled by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). There is no shortage of cases such as these, and they are good reminders that strong antidiscrimination and antiharassment policies, ongoing training, and stringent oversight are absolutely essential for an […]

10-step plan for fair and balanced approach to preventing workplace harassment

In less than a year, Fox News has lost its founder and one of its most well-known anchors due to widespread sexual harassment allegations. Fox News recently reported that 20th Century Fox paid $10 million in sexual harassment settlements in the first quarter of 2017 alone. How can Fox News be proactive in avoiding harassment […]

Fox News & Bill O’Reilly—best practices for conducting internal workplace investigations

Bill O’Reilly’s reign as a Fox News favorite came to an abrupt end amid a series of sexual harassment allegations against him. After the most recent allegations, Fox News hired large law firm Paul Weiss to conduct its internal investigation.    Workplace investigations are tough, and if your organization can’t afford (or simply does not want) […]

Uber says it’s time to stop tolerating ‘brilliant jerks’

by Dan Oswald How much are you willing to put up with from a talented employee? That’s a question that, as a manager, you’re bound to face sooner or later. It’s a question the Uber board of directors is faced with right now. Arianna Huffington, an Uber director, is leading a search for a new […]

Ontario court awards 3 types of damages in sexual harassment case

by Hannah Roskey An employee who was repeatedly sexually harassed by her coworker sued her employer after being terminated. In addition to normal damages for wrongful dismissal she was awarded $60,000 for “moral damages” by the trial judge, plus damages for the employer’s violation of human rights laws. In Doyle v. Zochem Inc., 2017 ONCA […]

Recent sexual harassment claims are call to action for men

by Dan Oswald C’mon, guys. We’re better than this! The recent string of incidents regarding sexual harassment and discrimination is disturbing and sad, and it should be embarrassing to all men. It’s the alleged bad behavior of men in the workplace—at the expense of women—that’s at the center of the stories.  In the past few […]

Wild kingdom: sexual harassment at the NPS

by Mark I. Schickman Twenty years ago in Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the case of a female lifeguard who sued the city of Boca Raton for sexual harassment because her supervisor lifeguard, on duty with her on a local beach, subjected her to “uninvited and offensive touching,” made […]

New California law mandates sexual harassment training for local officials

by Beth Kahn and Sigalit Shoghi Morris Polich & Purdy LLP Changes to California’s law requiring sexual harassment training for supervisory employees will go into effect on January 1, 2017, clearing up ambiguity about whether elected city officials are required to take sexual harassment prevention training and education courses already mandated for private-sector supervisors. Assembly […]