When employers receive sexual harassment complaints about star employees, recent revelations about abuse across the country point to a common reaction: brush it aside, keep it quiet, and silence the victim through retaliation. After all, there is money to be made and who can afford to lose a rain maker.
What many corporations and managers are missing, however, is protecting a sexual harasser will inevitably do more harm to the company than weeding out the bad apples right from the start. From desiccating the work culture, to sapping employee motivation, to the loss of qualified employees who are fed up – all in an effort to protect an abuser – hardly ever adds up to success.
Sexual Harassment and Workplace Retaliation Thriving
Yet, sexual harassment and workplace retaliation continue to thrive despite the fact that companies who ignore it lose money in the process. The lost productivity from victims withdrawing from work, neglecting tasks and calling off sick in response to sexual harassment cost a company tens of thousands for each employee affected.
When problems eventually do come to light, as we are seeing on a wide scale in the #me-too movement, the legal and reputational backlash a company faces makes it a no brainer to deal with reports of sexual harassment in the workplace head on.
If doing the right thing isn’t enough to compel employers to act, then the financial and legal consequences of allowing sexual harassment to flourish in the workplace will eventually catch up to them. It is far better to act now to prevent workplace sexual harassment and retaliation and to address it effectively when it does happen.
If Your Employer Ignores Your Sexual Harassment Complaints
Contact an Experienced Workplace Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Attorney For Help
For over 30 years attorney Marc Humphrey has stood up for the rights and obtained justice for victims. If you have been a victim of workplace sexual harassment or retaliation, contact Humphrey Law Firm for a confidential consultation at 515-331-3510.
