Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Recent Headlines about Sexual Harassment at Work is a Call to Action for Massachusetts Employers

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The recent accusations of sexual harassment by powerful men against the women – and sometimes men – who work around them is suddenly shining a bright light on the issue. Shocking as some of the claims may be, the fact that sexual harassment in the workplace is a major problem in Massachusetts is no surprise. For employers, the central message from media reports about Harvey Weinstein and others is patent. Pay attention to what’s going in your board rooms, mail rooms, and everywhere in between lest you face the embarrassment and expense that sexual harassment claims deliver.

Indeed, there is no shortage of sexual harassment claims in Massachusetts. The Commonwealth has long made employers responsible for rooting out sexual behaviors at work and addressing them before they become sexual harassment. All employers of six or more must have a sexual harassment in the workplace policy that is distributed annually to their employees. The model policy includes a discussion of sexual behaviors, encouragement of internal complaints, a promise to investigate, and contact information for filing state and federal complaints. Massachusetts employers are automatically on the financial hook for sexual harassment perpetrated by managers and for behaviors by others if they don’t quickly and reasonably address them. Needless to say, the cost of even a single sexual harassment claim can be extreme. In addition to paying their own lawyers, employers face the prospect of large damages awards and orders they pay the legal fees of the employees who sue them for sexual harassment

There are several steps employers should take to avoid sexual harassment in the workplace issues. The first step is to set a workplace tone that does not tolerate sexual or other inappropriate behaviors. Employers can do this through strong policies, delivered through comprehensive employment manuals that managers can get behind in visible ways. Policies should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to assure compliance with new laws. Managers, at least, should be trained about sexual harassment in the workplace and instructed that setting a positive example and addressing inappropriate behaviors when they occur is a critical part of their jobs. Staff should be encouraged to bring issues of concern to management’s attention, and those concerns must be addressed promptly.