The Associated Press quoted Manatt’s Deborah Kelly, a partner in the firm’s employment and labor practice, in an article examining how failure to address sexual harassment allegations can be costly for employers.
Employees whose sexual harassment allegations have not been taken seriously have settled lawsuits against employers for hefty sums, such as a University of California, Santa Cruz student who settled a claim against the university for $1.5 million. The article explained that while employers have taken a variety of steps to address the issue, some actions only serve to exacerbate the situation.
Labor attorneys say that the trend of men who are unwilling to work with female co-workers for fear of doing or saying the wrong things is troubling, as it contributes to discriminating against women by putting opportunities out of reach.
“The answer to no sexual harassment isn’t polarizing the workforce into male versus female camps. That would be the very definition of sex discrimination,” explained Kelly.
Read the article here.