Sexual harassment is a serious offense that affects employees of all races and genders. Even if you think that nobody in your workplace is a victim of sexual harassment, that may not be the case since many victims do not report harassment for fear of being ignored or facing retaliation. Unfortunately, this fear is well-founded, as many companies would rather cut loose a lesser employee than lose one of their executives to a sexual harassment scandal. Still, if you can muster the courage to take advantage of your rights and report the harassment, you may find justice.
Recently, a female employee of Tinder claimed that she made a complaint about a Tinder executive, the company’s chief marketing officer, alleging that he made inappropriate comments in emails and text messages. The suit also accused Tinder’s CEO of ignoring the complaint and claims that she resigned from her position within Tinder because she was pressured to.
The lawsuit was settled when the chief marketing officer resigned from his position at Tinder, while the company did not admit to any wrongdoing. For the part of the woman who filed the complaint, her attorney said that she was simply happy that the suit was settled so that she could move on to new opportunities.
California has very clear laws when it comes to protecting victims of sexual harassment, thanks in part to federal law and in part to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. While it’s impossible to tell whether the Tinder executive was truly guilty in this case, the alleged victim seems pleased with the outcome, which indicates that she exercised her rights and benefited from them. If you have been the victim of sexual harassment at your place of work, remember that you have rights, and you can use them.
Source: USA Today, “Tinder settles sexual harassment suit, executive resigns,” Jessica Guynn, Sep. 9, 2014