As we are in the first quarter of the year, it is a good time to review your sexual harassment policy with your employees. Ensure that all paperwork and handbooks are up to date, and that any contact information is as well. Employees should clearly know who to contact if they suspect they are being sexually harassed.
Here’s why it’s so important to keep your employees informed of your sexual harassment policies. In 2011, in the case Angela D. Walton v. North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Robert N. Brogden, Jr., Ms. Walton sued for sexual harassment.
In the suit, Walton stated her working conditions were intolerable, due to her supervisor acting sexually inappropriate around her—in both speech and action. These behaviors went on for about two months. Walton only told her co-workers at first, then finally confronted her supervisor’s boss, and later quit.
In court, the Department of Agriculture explained its sexual harassment policy. The policy described what sexual harassment entailed and instructed employees to report any violations within 30 days of the incident. Walton was aware of this policy, having recently undergone training.
Walton’s case was dismissed, as the court reasoned the Department of Agriculture had done its due diligence in sexual harassment prevention by providing a clear policy. The agency took action once Walton told someone in authority what was going on. Walton also did not immediately report the incidents, as the policy stated, talking only to her co-workers about the issue at first.
Our attorneys will handle your sexual harassment claim with sensitivity and dignity. As employee rights attorneys, we utilize the law and the legal system to obtain justice and maximize our clients’ compensation.