Readers of the blog will no doubt know that it’s been far too long since I had Nina Pirrotti on the blog for a conversation about employment law topics.
Excuses abound, but Nina — who mainly represents individuals in employment-related disputes — recently penned a piece for the Connecticut Law Tribune that is too good to let more time pass.
So, knowing still that titling a piece a “Dialogue” while just offering up a link to her piece is less than ideal, it’s important that we move beyond labels to get at the heart of sexual harassment issues remaining in the workplace.
Nina suggests that there are still far too many employers that have chosen to “bury their heads in the sand rather than confront the harassers who line their pockets.”
You can disagree about the scope of the issue but the underlying premise is sound — sexual harassment remains a scourge of the workplace for too many.
What are some of her tips for employers?
- Conduct Live Trainings
- Investigate Responsibly
- Reject the “He Said/She Said” Cop-Out
- Incentive the Bystander to Come Forward
- Support the Survivor
There can and should be those who might suggest other paths for employers to follow.
I might suggest that Boards of Directors require their CEOs to provide quarterly reports on what the company is doing to combat sexual harassment, for example.
But having this discussion makes sure that companies continue to focus on combating sexual harassment in the workplace. That way, as Nina says, we can turn #metoo into #allofus.