Fast Food Giant Under Fire for Harassment May 23 2019 - Harassment - Erika Pickles

The claims alleged misconduct at locations in 20 U.S. cities.

Article published on May 23, 2019

Twenty-five sexual harassment claims were filed against McDonald’s Corp. this week — 20 were complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and five were civil lawsuits. With backing from Time’s Up, the complaints against the fast food giant come after 10 harassment complaints were filed with the EEOC last year and workers held a multi-state strike in September 2018 protesting harassing conditions in the workplace.

Employees —some of whom were teenagers when the alleged harassment occurred — who worked at corporate and franchise stores in 20 cities filed the recent complaints. The complaints allege that the employees were subjected to harassment including lewd comments, groping, indecent exposure and propositions for sex, as well as retaliation for complaining about the alleged harassment.

The claims were filed with support from the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Fight for $15 Campaign. In a Time’s Up letter sent to McDonald’s, it claims the company has neglected to address the “rampant sexual harassment of [its] employees” and calls on McDonald’s to take affirmative steps to address what it refers to as a “public health crisis” in the company’s stores, including:

• Providing company-wide training to managers and employees;
• Ensuring a fair and effective complaint process for employees to report harassment; and
• Guaranteeing employees are protected from retaliation if they report harassment.

McDonald’s stated that it is committed to ensuring a harassment-free workplace for its employees and detailed the steps it has taken to do so, which include strengthening and clarifying its policies against harassment, printing the policies on posters placed in restaurants and implementing a hotline for employees to anonymously report harassment.

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Article written by: Erika Pickles
Article published on May 23, 2019 on Hrwatchdog/ Presented by: Cal Chambers
Article spotted by: Louise Burden

Flurry of EEOC harassment suits names United Airlines, Piggly Wiggly

Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced another series of lawsuits alleging workplace harassment. The latest charges are aimed at seven employers and represent the second such effort in as many months.
• Five of the suits involve sexual harassment allegations, two are racial harassment claims and one also alleges harassment based on national origin. Five of the seven lawsuits include claims that the employees were retaliated against for reporting the harassment.
• One of the suits, filed against United Airlines, alleges that a captain frequently posted sexually explicit images of a flight attendant to various websites, and that United failed to correct the pilot's behavior, despite complaints. Another, filed against Piggly Wiggle, alleges that two employees were subjected to a sexually hostile work environment and suffered retaliation when they opposed the harassment.

Dive Insight:

As the EEOC cracks down on harassment, the spotlight shines brightly on HR and the role it should play in these cases. The best HR departments will foster an environment where these issues rarely arise and, when they do, tackle the problem proactively before it turns into crisis.

EEOC noted that this series of suits is just the latest in its attempt to crack down on harassment. The agency has said that the number of sexual harassment claims hasn't increased following the #MeToo movement, but that it might be too early to see the full effects of it. Even so, employers would be wise not to wait around for a movement or a lawsuit to address workplace harassment.

Managers should know and understand what's required of them. And employers should make sure that employees are aware of policies, and know that they'll be enforced. Employers who ignore or accept harassment as normal workplace behavior not only risk a lawsuit, but also risk losing their best performers. A new Gartner survey found that employees who witness misconduct are twice as likely to leave their jobs.

This means that HR needs to treat every allegation of harassment seriously and carefully consider which requires a formal investigation, experts have told HR Dive. Thank employees for coming forward with a complaint to avoid even an inferenc

e of retaliation, and then work swiftly to investigate the situation, documenting every step along the way.

If egregious conduct is happening regularly, as described in EEOC's allegations, a total culture overhaul might be necessary. A culture that values respect, civility, high ethical standards, tolerance and inclusion won't happen overnight, but it can be done.

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Recommended Reading : EEOC Files Seven More Suits Against Harassment

Article Written by: Valerie Bolden-Barrett/ HR Drive

Article published on: August 14, 2019

Article spotted by: Louise Burden