A Look Back on Sexual Harassment Charges in 2018
EEOC Sexual Harassment Charges Statistics Surged
The increase in sexual harassment lawsuits brought by the EEOC was 50 percent higher in 2018 than they were in 2017. The EEOC filed 66 harassment lawsuits, and of those, 41 involved allegations of sexual harassment.
New charges filed with the EEOC that alleged sexual harassment were more than 7,500, which was 12 percent higher than in 2017.
A New NLRB Roadmap for Employee Handbooks
What Are the Current NLRB Handbook Guidelines for Employers?
Through a number of legal cases, including the 2004 Lutheran Heritage decision and later decisions, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) deemed certain employee handbook rules as unlawful. They adjudicated that they were in violation of employees Section 7 rights (right to self-organize and right to collective bargaining).
As a result, for a number of years workplace rules established by employers came under scrutiny and more harsh restrictions.
However, the NLRB MEMORANDUM GC 18-04, released on June 15, 2018, restored commonplace rules that previously were under attack.
read moreHave You Been Accused of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace?
Attorney Stephen Hans appeared in an NY NBC video to give a statement regarding the case brought against his client by rehab counselor Jennifer Lastra.
Growing Concerns About Sexual Harassment in Employment Environments
New York NBC News recently reported that more than $5 million has gone into settling lawsuits brought against 70 New York employees accused of sexual harassment or gender discrimination.
In addition, half of the accused employees have been allowed to keep their jobs.
New York City’s Earned Safe and Sick Time Act
ESTA and ESSTA
The revised Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) is now called the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA), and it became effective on May 5, 2018.
Employers should provide all newly hired employees with a Notice of Employee Rights and also provide it to all current employees that were hired prior to June 4, 2018.
How Does ESSTA Differ from ETSA?
ESSTA differs from ESTA in mainly two ways.
Expanded Definition of Family Member
It provides a more comprehensive definition of a family member, which includes any individual who is blood related to the employee and also individuals whose close connection with the employee is equivalent to a family relationship.
read moreSexual Harassment Protest: Google Walkout
Thousands of Employees Worldwide Protest Google’s Handling of Sexual Harassment
The Google Walkout on November 1, 2018 in protest of sexual harassment was a worldwide event. The largest gathering of protesters, numbering in the thousands, occurred in Silicon Valley, California where Google Headquarters is located.
In addition, The New York Times reported that workers protested internationally in Singapore, Hyderabad, Berlin, Zurich, London, Chicago and Seattle, to name a few locations. New York also had a large number of protesters. An estimated 3,000 people gathered to protest in a city park.
Since the #Metoo movement began a year ago, sexual harassment has topped the list in anti-discrimination movements. A number of states have passed stricter laws to prohibit sexual harassment, and New York has passed the most stringent sexual harassment training laws in the nation.
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