ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 26
COUNSEL COMPOUND
Investigating Sexual
Harassment Claims:
Don't Be an Ostrich
By Jeff Leiter
2
017 has been a busy year for
employment lawyers. Hollywood has been rocked almost
daily over the past few months with
allegations ranging from unwanted
sexual overtures to outright assaults
made against well-known producers,
directors and actors. As I write this
column, a Senate candidate in Alabama has denied allegations of sexual
misconduct made by at least seven
women who said the events happened
when they were teenagers and he was
a prosecutor in his early 30s. Have
we forgotten the sexual harassment
allegations against Fox News' Roger
Ailes, or the sexual harassment lawsuits settled involving the network's
then-talk show host Bill O'Reilly?
In many of these cases, the individuals named have been trailed for years
by rumors of sexual harassment and
assault. According to many news reports, the alleged behaviors have been
open secrets to many people within
the individuals' industries and social
circles. It appears that nondisclosure
agreements, payments and legal threats
kept many victims from stepping
forward with their accounts.
Workplace sexual harassment claims
likely will increase throughout the near
future. So, employers must take all
reasonable steps to prevent workplace
harassment from occurring, and they
must promptly take action against any
sexually harassing behavior that has occurred. There is good case law that even
26
DECEMBER 2017
| COMPOUNDINGS | ILMA.ORG
a relatively informal investigation can
satisfy an employer's legal obligations,
provided the investigation is conducted
promptly and in a good-faith effort to
reach the truth of what occurred. The
key to minimizing or avoiding liability
is for the employer to take action that is
reasonably likely to prevent the recurrence of the harassment.
While I have not done a detailed
analysis of the case law in every state,
here are my tips on conducting an effective sexual harassment investigation,
recognizing that immediate intervention minimizes the injury to the victim
and sends a clear message to employees
that harassment is not tolerated:
* Employees should be able to report complaints of sexual harass-
ment directly to the person with
ultimate responsibility for enforcing the company's policies against
unlawful harassment. Employees
should feel that their complaints
will be handled promptly and
effectively, rather than simply
"passed up the chain."
* Don't sit on complaints. Investigations should start right away
and should be completed as soon
as possible. Any delays, and the
reasons for the delays, should be
documented.
* The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has
guidelines on how to conduct an
effective inquiry into harassment
http://www.ILMA.ORG
ILMA Compoundings December 2017
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ILMA Compoundings December 2017
LETTER FROM THE CEO
INSIDE ILMA
WHAT’S COMING UP
INDUSTRY RUNDOWN
MAKING CLAIMS
SOLVING THE ENGINE OIL PUZZLE, PART I
BUSINESS HUB
COUNSEL COMPOUND
WASHINGTON LANDSCAPE
IN NETWORK
PORTRAIT
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - Cover1
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - Cover2
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 1
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 2
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - LETTER FROM THE CEO
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - INSIDE ILMA
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 5
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - WHAT’S COMING UP
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 7
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 8
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 9
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - INDUSTRY RUNDOWN
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 11
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 12
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 13
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 14
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 15
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - MAKING CLAIMS
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 17
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 18
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 19
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - SOLVING THE ENGINE OIL PUZZLE, PART I
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 21
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 22
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 23
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - BUSINESS HUB
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 25
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - COUNSEL COMPOUND
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 27
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - WASHINGTON LANDSCAPE
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 29
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - PORTRAIT
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 31
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - 32
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - Cover3
ILMA Compoundings December 2017 - Cover4
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