05.21.09
Can My Employer Do This
I encourage you to read an e-mail I received from a reader today. It’s listed in the “comments” section following “A Reader’s Question Regarding Sexual Harassment Training.” Her e-mail presents several allegations of workplace harassment, including unwanted touching, and retaliation. The sexual harassment was directed at other women besides herself, and she complained that her company culture does not work to investigate and resolve such complaints with a clear human resources policy and practice, but rather appears to hold the victims accountable and blames them for being trouble makers.
In her letter, she complained that another victim was forced to sign an Arbitration Agreement after she filed a sexual harassment complaint. When she refused, she was allegedly fired for being a trouble maker ( this occurred after the company slowly cut back her hours). This type of company response may appear to be retaliatory, and certainly was causing our reader to think twice about filing a complaint about the hostile work environment she was working in.
What complicated matters was that the Owner of the Company was also the Acting Head of Human Resources. So, where does one go to file a complaint in such a situation? As I told the reader in my comments back, if you can’t file a complaint internally, you can always contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but that must be done in a timely basis. Secondly, it is wise to consult a local labor attorney who specializes in workplace harassment. No one should suffer any form of discrimination, and Title VII was designed to protect all of us from any form of discrimination and workplace harassment. If you believe you’ve been unlawfully treated, get legal advice and protect your civil rights. No one should have to work in a corporate culture similar to the one my reader described. No one.
