This is the second harassment suit that has been settled by the EEOC against an Eufaula, Ala., employer in the past year. Employers should realize that they will pay a high price by tolerating, condoning, or ignoring the creation of hostile work environments and retaliating against employees for complaining about discrimination. I am pleased that in this case the employer has stepped up its efforts to prevent the recurrence of these incidents. Under the terms of the settlement, the women will share monetary relief consisting of compensatory damages, attorney's fees, and costs. The implementation and posting of policies and the training, which are critical to the settlement, will help Charoen foster a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment for its current and future workforce.
Employers have an affirmative duty to prevent harassment from occurring.
All employees have the right to work in an environment free of demeaning, hostile, and abusive conduct. Retaliation charges filed with EEOC have likewise increased from 7,906 such charges in FY 1991 to 21,613 in FY 2000. This page was last modified on April 10, 2001.