The task force’s goal is to educate employers and employees alike on best practices and rights awareness in an effort to stem the tide of harassment charges and subsequent litigation that all too frequently results. This is because, as Ms. Yang indicates, almost a third of all charges filed with the EEOC concern harassment of some kind.
These range from racial and ethnic slurs; to sexual harassment experienced by both women and men at work; and now to abuses communicated by means of social media and technology, which have opened doors for all kinds of inappropriate office behavior. Some alarming harassment statistics were cited by the EEOC during its meeting, some of which had previously been made public: Some 25% of working females have reported experiencing a form of sexual harassment, though the vast majority of accusations go unreported for fear of reprisal.
Somewhat surprisingly, nearly 20% of total sexual harassment charges are brought my men. Recent high-tech charges have involved Facebook and Twitter postings, as well as employee blogs. Employers and HR professionals are encouraged to review their organization’s anti-harassment policies and reporting procedures, and to ensure they are in sync with Title VII and appropriate state civil-rights laws. Read more…