Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) reports that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) settled a lawsuit in which a temporary employee was harassed. The EEOC press release states:
[The employer] subjected two female production workers, one of whom was a temporary employee, to a sexually hostile work environment. The women were targets of sexual advances and comments by the lead food processing employee, who is also the husband of a manager at [the employer]. The temporary employee complained about the harassment to her shift supervisor, who then notified higher-level management and submitted a written report. The allegations of harassment were corroborated by the other victim and a male temporary employee. In response to the complaint, however, [the employer] fired the shift supervisor, the male temporary employee, and both victims. Then, after the temporary employee filed her discrimination charge, [the employer] terminated the lead food processor.
See Safie Specialty Foods to Pay $125,000 to Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Suit and Company paying $125,000 to settle sexual harassment lawsuit involving temp and other worker
This is a classic case of how management should not handle complaints about sexual harassment. Don’t kill the messenger, witness and victims.
