More men are filing charges of sexual harassment in the workplace, a trend that’s likely to grow as more women assume managerial positions that involve supervising men. Also contributing to the rise is the fact that it’s more socially acceptable today for a man to file sexual harassment charges, says Martha Zackin, a Boston attorney with Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C.
Last fiscal year, men filed 2,031 sexual harassment cases -- about 16% of the total -- brought before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, compared with just 9% in 1992. Total payouts to men totaled $5.4 million in fiscal 2009.
In one of the costliest cases, national home improvement retailer Lowe’s paid $1.72 million to three employees -- two men and one woman. The harassment went on for six months and included physical and verbal abuse. Not only did Lowe’s fail to take remedial action, but the workers were fired.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
In another case, Regal Entertainment Group, a national movie theater chain, paid $175,000 to settle a sexual harassment complaint made by a male employee. The EEOC charged that the employee was subjected to a sexually hostile workplace because of a female coworker who repeatedly grabbed his crotch. The female general manager failed to take adequate steps to stop or prevent the harassment and instead took retaliatory action against the harassed worker.
Employers need to treat sexual harassment complaints equally and seriously, regardless of whether the complainant is Jane Doe or John Doe. “Employers must take all charges seriously and not treat someone poorly because he made a good faith complaint,” says Zackin.
Supervisors, and especially new managers, should receive intensive training in what constitutes sexual harassment and how to keep it out of the workplace. “If managers don’t realize their behavior is creating a hostile work environment, they’ll continue to engage in that behavior,” says Rae Vann, general counsel at the Equal Employment Advisory Council.
-
What Wall Street's CEOs Are Saying About Trump's TariffsWe're in the thick of earnings season and corporate America has plenty to say about the Trump administration's trade policy.
-
The Role of the U.S. Dollar in Retirement: Is It Secure?Protect your retirement from de-dollarization, because “capital always goes where it is treated best."
-
The Economic Impact of the US-China Trade WarThe Letter The US-China trade war will impact US consumers and business. The decoupling process could be messy.
-
AI Heads to WashingtonThe Kiplinger Letter There’s big opportunity for AI tools that analyze MRIs and other medical images. But also big challenges that clinicians and companies will have to overcome.
-
The AI Doctor Coming to Read Your Test ResultsThe Kiplinger Letter There’s big opportunity for AI tools that analyze CAT scans, MRIs and other medical images. But there are also big challenges that human clinicians and tech companies will have to overcome.
-
The New Space Age Takes OffThe Kiplinger Letter From fast broadband to SOS texting, space has never been more embedded in peoples’ lives. The future is even more exciting for rockets, satellites and emerging space tech.
-
Rising AI Demand Stokes Undersea InvestmentsThe Kiplinger Letter As demand soars for AI, there’s a need to transport huge amounts of data across oceans. Tech giants have big plans for new submarine cables, including the longest ever.
-
What DOGE is Doing NowThe Kiplinger Letter As Musk's DOGE pursues its ambitious agenda, uncertainty and legal challenges are mounting — causing frustration for Trump.
-
A Move Away From Free TradeThe Letter President Trump says long-term gain will be worth short-term pain, but the pain could be significant this year.
-
The Explosion of New AI ToolsThe Kiplinger Letter Workers and consumers soon won’t be able to escape generative AI. Does that mean societal disruption and productivity gains are right around the corner?
