#MeToo Backlash

Bloomberg recently reported that Wall Street was undertaking "controversial strategies" that "risk isolating women in finance."  On December 3rd Bloomberg released an article entitled "Wall Street Rule for the #MeToo Era:  Avoid Women At All Cost."

Are men so fearful of being tainted with sexual harassment charges that they are ostracizing women in the workplace?  This is an outrageous reaction - not a solution.

Extreme tactics cited in the article include:  No more dinners with female colleagues.  Don't sit next to them on flights.  Book hotel rooms on different floors.  Avoid one-on-one meetings.   As a wealth advisor stated, just hiring a woman these days is "an unknown risk."  What if she took something he said the wrong way?

Is this the beginning of a new age of sexual discrimination?  Women may find more closed doors and exclusion from training / mentoring programs or other opportunities, thereby negatively impacting their professional growth and careers.

But there is a positive response.  New research from the Society for Human Resources Management, (a survey of 18,000 U.S. employees, at all levels across 15 industries) reflected that about one-third (32%) of executives say they've "changed their behavior"  due to greater awareness of the hazards of  sexual misconduct in the workplace.  This includes risk to employee morale (23%)  and employee engagement (23%).   21% of the respondees indicated that harassment has "never been an issue" in their organization.  Almost 40% of the executives indicated their response to the movement was to be more "careful" or "mindful" about locker-room humor and sexist jokes.   

Smart employers take the appropriate measures to address and eliminate harassment concerns in the workplace through:  (1)  Harassment Policies, (2) Supervisor and Employee Training, and (3) Investigation.

#MeToo has changed the landscape.   Let's tread carefully as we are all learning in this process.  Sexual harassment claims aren't black and white, they are multiple shades of grey.

2018 EEOC Report Shows Spike in Sexual Harassment Charges

In fiscal year 2018 the EEOC saw an increase in sexual harassment charges over 2017 numbers.  The EEOC filed 66 harassment lawsuits, including 41 that included allegations of sexual harassment.  These preliminary numbers reflect more than a 50% increase in suits challenging sexual harassment over fiscal year 2017.  As a result, the agency has put a new emphasis on anti-harassment efforts, focusing on training and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws.

The numbers:  The EEOC recovered almost $70 million for sexual harassment claims in fiscal year 2018.  This is an increase from $47.5 million in fiscal year 2017.

"The EEOC's innovative training program "Respectful Workplaces," which teaches skills for employees and supervisors to promote and contribute to respect in the workplace, was in high demand since it was launched in October 2017.  Over 9,000 employees and supervisors in the private, public and federal sector work forces participated in Respectful Workplaces trainings this past fiscal year.   An additional 13,000 employees participated in the EEOC's anti-harassment compliance trainings."

Cathy Ventrell-Monsees, a senior attorney adviser to the chair of the EEOC, stated that sexual charges increase and decrease in response to major national events.  Early reports reflect that #MeToo may be one of those events prompting a spike in claims.

In closing, never turn a blind eye to potential or actual acts of harassment in your organization.  Be proactive.  Address the situation.  Alternatively you may find yourself on the receiving end of an EEOC claim.