As numerous news stories have shown, no occupation is free from the potential of employees facing unwanted behaviors. Though most companies and places of employment have policies in place for dealing with sexual harassment, those policies may not be enough to protect workers. As a result, many individuals end up facing harassment on the job, which can have lasting impacts.
New York residents may find it interesting that even the U.S. court system is in line to review its sexual harassment policies and response practices. In recent news, a federal Circuit Court of Appeals judge sitting in another state retired from his position amid allegations of sexual harassment. These allegations came from over a dozen women who claim he groped them and showed them pornographic material.
U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts stated policies and practices for dealing with this type of harassment in the judicial system will go under review. He hopes that this review will determine whether modifications to existing polices need to take place in order to better protect workers from this type of behavior. Policies under review include the code of conduct of the judiciary and rules for looking into harassment complaints.
Though most employers do want to protect their workers from sexual harassment, their policies may be lacking. Additionally, supervisors may not take necessary measures to ensure that complaints are taken seriously. As a result, New York residents could continue to face harassment with little help from their employers. If so, they may wish to consider taking further action, and speaking with attorneys regarding their legal options may prove useful.
Source: bloomberg.com, “U.S. Courts Will Review Rules After Sexual Harassment Claims,” Laurie Asseo, Dec. 31, 2017
