According to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charge statistics, workplace harassment is alleged in approximately 30 percent of all charges filed with the commission.
As a result of this fact, the EEOC and new Chair Jenny R. Yang announced on Jan. 14 the commission's intent to focus on workplace harassment in 2015.
“Today, we continue to see systemic barriers to equal opportunity in many areas, including hiring, persistent harassment and increased retaliation,” wrote Yang in a statement released prior to the hearing. “This . . . presents an opportune time for a call to action – to enlist employers and workers in a broader effort to prevent and correct workplace discrimination and to identify real-world solutions for our most difficult workplace challenges.”
In addition, Yang announced the creation of a new task force that will be dedicated solely to harassment issues. Yang explained, “Through this task force we hope to better reach workers to ensure they know their rights and to better reach employers to promote best practices,” according to a statement issued by the EEOC on the hearing.
The EEOC’s recent statement regarding its focus on workplace harassment illuminates the reality that workplace harassment is still a major problem that employers need to strategically work to prevent.
It is critical that employers have a clear anti-harassment and discrimination policy that is communicated understandably to all employees. Now is the best time for employers to review their policies, training and investigative procedures.
- Partner
A member of the firm's Bloomfield Hills office, Courtney L. Nichols serves as the firm's Special Litigation Department Leader.
Ms. Nichols focuses her litigation practice in the area of employment law, including discrimination ...
Add a comment
Subscribe
RSSTopics
- Employment Liability
- Department of Labor (DOL)
- Labor Law
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- Employment Discrimination
- Human Resources
- Wage & Hour
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- National Labor Relations Act
- Employment Agreement
- Tax Law
- National Labor Relations Board
- COVID-19
- Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Minimum Wage
- Civil Litigation
- Settlements
- Coronavirus
- Contract Employees
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Whistleblower Protection Act
- Regulatory Law
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
- Paid Medical Leave Act (PMLA)
- OSHA Issues
- Title VII
- Unemployment Benefits
- Retaliation
- Sick Leave
- Accommodations
- First Amendment
- Workplace Harassment
- Contracts
- Public Education
- Transgender Issues
- Hostile Work Environment
- Business Risk Management
- Noncompete Agreements
- At Will Employment
- ERISA
- Workers' Compensation
- Department of Justice
- Cannabis
- Medicare Issues
- LGBTQ
- Class Actions
- Sexual Harassment
- Garnishments
- Civil Rights
- Social Media
- Retail Liability
- RICO
- Emergency Information
- Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
- Department of Education (DOE)
- Title IX
- Medical Marijuana
- Right to Work
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Diversity
- Union Organizing & Relations
Recent Updates
- Tax Considerations When Settling an Employment Claim 2.0
- DOL Finalizes Rule Tightening Independent Contractor Test
- NLRB Finalizes Rule Broadening Joint Employer Test
- EEOC Issues New Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace
- Proposed Rule Change to Minimum Salary Requirements Would Expand Overtime Pay to Millions of Workers not Currently Eligible
- U.S. Supreme Court Bolsters Right of Employees to Request Religious Accommodations
- U.S. Supreme Court Rules Website Designer Free to Refuse Services Under First Amendment
- NLRB Restores FedEx II Standard When Factoring Workers’ Entrepreneurship
- Sixth Circuit Adopts New “Similarly Situated” Employees Evaluation Standard for Issuing Court-Approved Notice of FLSA Suits
- Unanimous Supreme Court Finds Lip Service not Good Enough for Disabled Student