Last week, millions watched the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings with Dr. Christine Blasely Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The hearings were reminiscent of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings in 1991 with Anita Hill and then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
To be sure, the Senate hearings were radically different from sexual harassment investigations routinely conducted at workplaces across the country. The challenges presented at the hearings nevertheless provide important lessons for employers. As most employers already know, the stakes in such investigations are (1) employee well-being and productivity, (2) employee turnover, and (3) potential legal exposure under federal, state and local employment laws.
Take All Reports of Sexual Harassment Seriously
Upon receipt by an employer, a report of sexual harassment may immediately appear to be of questionable credibility. Such questionable credibility may be due to (1) the age of the conduct reported, (2) an ulterior motivation by the alleged victim or other employees, (3) memory gaps, or (4) the absence of corroborating witnesses or other evidence.
There are inherent risks for an employer, however, in a rush to judgment as to a questionable report of harassment. First, the report may prove to have more credibility with further investigation. It is more prudent that the employer to conduct such an investigation than a government agency or plaintiff’s counsel.
Second, the report may be part of a greater sexual harassment problem which exists at the employer. An investigation of the report may be the only means of promptly addressing the greater problem, before it becomes worse.
Finally, the manner in which an employer handles a report of sexual harassment can encourage or discourage future reports of harassment by the alleged victim and other employees. An employee who feels discouraged from reporting harassment may opt to (1) withhold information thereby allowing a bad situation to become worse, (2) quit, or (3) report such harassment in the form of a charge of discrimination or lawsuit.
Mitigation of these risks thus dictates that all reports of sexual harassment be taken seriously.
Take the Time Needed
Since federal and state employment discrimination laws mandate that prompt remedial action be taken by an employer in response to a report of sexual harassment, a sense of urgency must exist in any investigation. The danger of an artificial deadline, at the expense of a more thorough investigation, however, is that the employer will deprived of information necessary to mitigate the risks associated with sexual harassment.
Completeness is thus always a more prudent goal than expediency in any sexual harassment investigation.
Be Thorough
There are certainly times when an investigation presents hurdles for an employer. Such hurdles include (1) less than cooperative witnesses, (2) unreliable memories, and (3) witnesses represented by legal counsel.
Without reasonable efforts to be thorough, however, a sexual harassment investigation is vulnerable to a claims of bias. The goal of an employer, therefore, should be reasonably diligent efforts to obtain any relevant information regardless of its evidentiary value.
Be Objective During Investigation
At the outset of a sexual harassment investigation, an employer may be predisposed to believe the accuser or the accused. The reasons for such predispositions include (1) prior dealings with the accuser or accused, (2) the relative values to the employer of the accuser and accused, (3) fear of litigation, and (4) the predominant gender of the employer’s leadership.
A less than partial investigation of a report of sexual harassment, however, can undercut rather than support an employer’s defense to a claim of discrimination or retaliation. An employer must thus be proactive in making sure the investigation is objective. This means taking steps to (1) neutralize any predispositions during the investigation, (2) ensure that the investigation looks for all relevant information regardless of whether the information supports the accuser or accused, (3) evaluate objectively information learned during the investigation, and (4) otherwise preserve the integrity of the investigation.
Be Objective After Investigation
After an impartial investigation is concluded, the employer still risks legal action for discrimination and retaliation by (1) openly commenting on the credibility or motivation of the accuser, (2) openly commenting on the hardship suffered by the accused and the accused’s family, (3) leaking information learned during the investigation, or (4) lamenting the time and resources spent on the investigation.
Prompt remedial action in response to a report of sexual harassment does not mean that the employer must necessarily take a side. Such action need only be limited to remedial steps, which generally do not entail attacks on the accuser or accused.
Robert G. Chadwick, Jr. frequently speaks to non-profit organizations regarding labor & employment issues. To contact him for a speaking engagement please e-mail him at rchadwick@realclearcounsel.com
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