Sexual Harassment

Honolulu Employer Pays $200,000 for Harassment

By R. Makana Risser Chai

A Texas construction company doing business in Honolulu has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle a sexual harassment complaint brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of…

Harassment, Sexual Harassment

Be Fair to Accused Harassers, Court Rules

By R. Makana Risser Chai

by Rita Makana Risser Chai, originally published on Fair Measures In the #MeToo environment, good employers are committed to giving fair hearings to victims of sexual harassment. But a recent…

Harassment, HR Law Training & Investigations, Sexual Harassment

What Tools Prevent Sexual Harassment?

By R. Makana Risser Chai

“Tools trump training” according to Marcus Buckingham, author of the research-based books First, Break All the Rules; Now, Discover Your Strengths; and Nine Lies About Work. What tools prevent sexual…

Harassment, Sexual Harassment

Is Touching Women’s Hair Sexual Harassment?

By R. Makana Risser Chai

The internet has been buzzing since Lucy Flores, a former candidate for Nevada Lieutenant Governor, recounted an incident with then-Vice President Joe Biden. According to CNN, "Very unexpectedly and out…

Harassment, Sexual Harassment

Anti-harassment training in the era of #MeToo

By R. Makana Risser Chai

Since #MeToo exploded in October 2017, many employers have been thinking about updating their anti-harassment training. If you haven't made changes to your anti-harassment program lately, now is the time.…

Sexual Harassment

Are we rushing to judgment?

By R. Makana Risser Chai

The incident last weekend at the Lincoln Memorial had many people making judgments based on a single image or a few brief seconds of video. Once they decided how they…

Sexual Harassment

How Boards Can Protect Themselves from #MeToo Surprises

By R. Makana Risser Chai

Boards of Directors are often surprised to hear of sexual harassment complaints against their companies. The decisions to settle, or not, are not ones they typically get involved in. Yet…

Harassment, HR Law Training & Investigations, Sexual Harassment

New case: Locker Room Talk Not Sexual Harassment!?!

By R. Makana Risser Chai

This company won the lawsuit, but they lost in so many other ways: with current and potential customers, current and potential employees, lost time, productivity, and attorneys fees. The lesson:…

HR Law Training & Investigations, Sexual Harassment

New Research Shows Companies how to Create a Harassment-Free Workplace

By R. Makana Risser Chai

A June 2018 report on sexual harassment was released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Two years in the making, it compiled all the available research on…