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Article

13 Oct 2015

Author:
Jason Volentine, KPHO/KTVK (USA)

Sexual harassment ruling could make your workplace safer

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Your workplace may be getting a little safer following a circuit court ruling that lowers the bar on what counts as a hostile work environment.  Sexual harassment in the workplace has been illegal for a long time, but a hostile work environment has traditionally meant a place where multiple incidents of harassment are tolerated or ignored…Now, a supervisor or fellow employee making unwanted sexual advances just one time can mean the company is on the hook for a lawsuit…In the case of Ault v. Oberlin College, the court said an employee who was sexually grabbed from behind by a supervisor just one time had every right to sue the company for creating a hostile workplace…In the past, employers have been successful getting these types of lawsuits dismissed…For employers, that could mean more complaints that must be taken seriously…For employees, that means “he said, she said” type complaints will get a much harder look, if not by employers then by the courts…