The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has not seen a surge in sexual harassment complaints since the start of the #MeToo movement, but more employees have been threatening to sue their respective employers. The Acting EEOC Commissioner, Victoria Lipnic, recently spoke at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Conference in Washington DC and stated that there has been an increase of demand letters to employers from attorneys on behalf of putative plaintiffs. Demand letters may be a precursor to an employee filing an actual charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and then, subsequently, a lawsuit. Lipnic also noted that it is critical for management to take the lead on addressing sexual harassment and, “if the leadership of the organization is not invested in making sure that the culture of their organization is one that does not tolerate harassing behavior and does not let these kinds of things happen, then you can do training every six months and it’s not going to make much of a difference.” To learn more about her speech and what employers can do to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, listen to this week’s Telebrief here. 

Also in this week’s Telebrief: Maryland Paid Sick Leave Act F.A.Q.’s and the Payroll Audit Independent Determination Program (PAID).

Questions about sexual harassment in the workplace or other topics from this week’s Telebrief?

Contact Howard at hkurman@offitkurman.com or 410-209-6417

About the Telebriefs®

The Telebriefs^® are 30-minute, information-packed phone calls geared towards executives, HR directors, supervisors, managers, and business owners. Join Howard K. Kurman, as he discusses employment law developments occurring over the past two weeks that will most significantly impact employers nationwide. These twice-monthly phone calls are an easy way to stay current and compliant with the latest employment law developments that will significantly affect you and your company. The goal is to provide information and insights to help executives stay current with the latest workplace law developments and in front of trends, to enable proactive policy-making and management. Our guarantee: You will learn something useful, on every call!

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

hkurman@offitkurman.com | 410-209-6417

Howard K. Kurman is an employment attorney. Mr. Kurman regularly counsels clients on all aspects of proactive employment/labor issues. He represents employers ranging in size from as small as 20 employees to those employers with geographically disparate locations consisting of over 4,000 employees. Mr. Kurman assures, through regular contact with his clients, that they promulgate and maintain the most effective employment policies that will, to the extent possible, minimize their legal exposure in today’s litigious workplace. Mr. Kurman offers advice on employee handbooks, employment agreements, and covenants not to compete as well as confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. Previously, Mr. Kurman was the chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group.

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