Manatt’s Deborah Kelly, a partner in the firm’s employment and labor practice, was quoted by Forbes for an article discussing priorities for CEOs and board members surrounding the #MeToo movement and the overall gender-equity public discussion.
One priority, according to the publication, should be to put the responsibility for upholding workplace conduct standards on everyone, not just human resources.
“While sexual harassment has been unlawful since at least 1980 when the Equal Opportunity Commission ruled that it violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, now, almost 40 years later, a company’s reputation and financial outlook, as well as its capacity to compete for top talent, increasingly hinge on its workplace culture, its determination to stamp out such misconduct whether from rank and file workers or C-Suite executives, and its commitment to diversity at all levels,” said Kelly.
She also explained that issues should not pit management against its employees. If that is allowed to happen, discrimination could become even worse, crushing morale and prompting valued employees to seek employment elsewhere.
Read the article here.