Tips and policies for avoiding sexual harassment issues at work

The Bill O’Reilly sexual harassment controversy has been making headlines for several weeks now.  Many have criticized Fox News and parent company 21^st Century Fox for paying the host of their highest-rated show $25 million upon his exit (equivalent to roughly one year of pay under his recently negotiated contract with the network) when the amount paid to settle with five of his accusers was only $13 million.

There are several HR takeaways from this situation that business owners and managers should consider to prevent harassment lawsuits:

1. Have clearly stated organizational policies that stress zero tolerance for harassment and implement training at all levels of the company based on these policies.
2. Even if you have taken precautionary steps to prevent harassment, you may still have a claim. It is important to take all claims seriously and conduct a full investigation when a claim arises.
3. If you determine that harassment has occurred, you must take corrective action. Depending on the severity of the situation, this could be a written disciplinary action, suspension or termination.  The action you take should be appropriate as to ensure that the behavior does not happen again.
4. Remember to apply the same rules to all employees at all levels, no matter their rank or title within the organization.

BCN Services can assist you in writing and implementing harassment-free policies, conducting workplace investigations and determining appropriate disciplinary action.  If you have questions, please contact us at 1-800-891-9911.