When the plaintiff complained to her employer, the employer began an investigation and contacted the union. The union denied any knowledge of her allegations. This ruling demonstrates that cooperation with the union representing your employees is important whenever allegations of discrimination or harassment arise. EEOC s voluntary mediation program has positively impacted the number of charges the EEOC has been able to resolve successfully. The number of total charges filed at the EEOC are down from previous years.
Race discrimination followed by sex discrimination are the most commonly filed charges.
Moreover, the EEOC credits its priority charge processing program for eliminating non-meritorious charges in the early stages of the administrative process. Inc. Fair Employment Practices, Volume 36, No. 890, February 3, 2000. Many lawsuits could be avoided if employees would behave professionally and encourage professional behavior in their staff. Managers, in particular, should set the tone by dressing professionally, speaking at an appropriate volume, avoiding profanity, not engaging in inappropriate conduct or conduct that has the appearance of being inappropriate and serving as a role model for employees in determining the boundaries of their own behavior. Managers must train employees on how to follow policies and procedures.