If sexual harassment allegations surface, it is vital to carefully address this difficult issue as a business owner. If accusations lead to litigation, the outcome of a suit could have a damaging impact on your firm. Aside from financial penalties, the case could destroy the reputation of your company.
These challenges underline the importance of preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. Furthermore, it is vital to review the details of a sexual harassment case extensively. Sometimes, former staff members or current employees falsely claim to have experienced sexual harassment, whether they do not remember the details of a particular incident correctly or they intentionally accuse another party of wrongdoing in an attempt to exact revenge.
The prevalence of sexual harassment charges
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency saw over 5,500 sexual harassment charge filings throughout fiscal year 2021. During fiscal year 2020, the agency received more than 6,500 sexual harassment receipts, compared to 7,514 in fiscal year 2019 and over 7,600 during fiscal year 2018.
This data does not include sexual harassment charges filed with state or local agencies.
Other statistics on sexual harassment charges
In fiscal year 2021, males accounted for 16.3% of the sexual harassment charge filings received by the EEOC. Over the course of fiscal year 2021, sexual harassment charges filed with the EEOC led to more than 6,100 resolutions and $61.6 million in monetary benefits (not counting benefits awarded via litigation).
If your firm currently faces litigation as a result of sexual harassment allegations, go over the case details closely and try to gather as much evidence as possible.
