When companies don’t handle sexual harassment claims properly, it can cost them big. For instance, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store recently paid out $255,000 to settle a sexual harassment suit, and Marshalls settled a similar case for $110,000. These cases and others share a common thread: The plaintiffs claimed that their employers knew or should have known about the sexual harassment but failed to take prompt and effective corrective action to stop it.
Time and time again, employers make errors in judgment when sexual harassment claims surface. As the Cracker Barrel and Marshalls cases show, those mistakes can cost them dearly. Don’t wait for a sexual harassment lawsuit to evaluate whether the steps you’re taking are sufficient to meet your legal obligations and avoid a legal minefield. The best time to prepare is before a crisis hits.
Order this webinar recording for an in-depth 90-minute interactive webinar, when our expert – a seasoned labor and employment attorney and expert investigator – will discuss the mistakes you need to avoid when addressing an employee complaint of sexual harassment.
You and your colleagues will learn:
- How to judge what comments and conduct might constitute sexual harassment under federal law, and when to conduct an investigation
- What factors you should consider in choosing the right investigator, and who should never be in charge of an internal sexual harassment investigation
- When and how to inform the accused and witnesses that a complaint has been lodged
- Helpful interim measures to consider pending an investigation, and how to avoid retaliation claims stemming from your investigative efforts
- Crucial missteps to avoid when investigating sexual harassment claims
- How to handle “he said/she said” allegations
- Pitfalls to avoid when memorializing your investigative interviews
- Elements of a complete investigation report
- How to bring proper closure following an investigation
- Determining reasonable and appropriate post investigation remedial measures
This webinar was recorded on Tuesday, September 1, 2009
About Your Speaker:
Rebecca Speer, Esq., is the founder and principal of Speer Associates/Workplace Counsel, based in San Francisco, California. She brings more than 20 years of experience to her work with a wide range of organizations, providing employment law services with a specialized focus on internal investigations, employee relations management, and the prevention of workplace violence, discrimination, harassment, and other employee misconduct. Her clients include major corporations across a variety of industries, public ector organizations, and professional firms.
Speer is a graduate of Stanford University and the Santa Clara University School of Law. She was associated with the national law firms of Morrison & Foerster and Seyfarth Shaw before establishing Speer Associates. She is a member of the State Bar of California, the American Bar Association, the Bar Association of San Francisco, and several human resources and security organizations.
Approved for Recertification Credit
This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.
