According to a new Fact Sheet published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), in the 12 months since October 2017 – the month when the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal exploded and the #MeToo movement emerged – the number of sexual harassment charges filed with the agency increased by more than 12 percent over the prior 12-month period. The agency also reports that it recovered nearly $70 million for victims of sexual harassment through its enforcement efforts in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, including through litigation, up from $47.5 million the year before.
The new EEOC Fact Sheet, “What You Should Know: EEOC Leads the Way in Preventing Workplace Harassment,” was published on the agency’s website on October 4, 2018. In addition to citing the preliminary harassment charge and litigation data, the two-page document touts the agency’s ongoing efforts to make harassment prevention and enforcement a top national priority, including by:
- Vigorously enforcing anti-harassment laws;
- Meeting the “heightened demand for information and advice”;
- Promoting “respectful workplaces”;
- Leading by example; and
- Continuing to explore new strategies for harassment prevention.
A copy of the EEOC’s new Fact Sheet is available here.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.