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Shocking Allegations of Sexual Harassment at Major U.S. Companies

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a serious problem, even today. Many victims have come forward reporting discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation issues in big companies such as Sterling Jewelers and Uber just this month. Hundreds of former employees have reported that the corporate culture at these companies, as presided over by top executives, not only fostered sexual harassment and discrimination, but also a fear of reporting and additional harassment.

Sexual Harassment Reports at Sterling Jewelers (Kay and Jared Jewelry)

Because Sterling, like many other corporate employers, requires any and all employees to waive their right to bring employer-related disputes in public courts, 250 women filed a class action (private arbitration) case alleging that they were regularly groped, demeaned, and urged to provide sexual favors for their bosses in order to keep their jobs throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Originally filed in 2008, the case is still unresolved and building, and now includes close to 70,000 women, all current or former employees of Sterling.

Documents associated with the case were only just released, and the allegations are nothing short of horrifying: They include top male managers scouting stores to target female employees they wanted to have sexual relations with; female subordinates pushed into sex in exchange for promises of better jobs or higher pay; and additional wage violations entirely unlinked to sexual impropriety. It gets even worse: The company’s annual manager meetings were described as “sex-fests,” where attendance was mandatory, spouses were not allowed, and women were regularly groped, grabbed, and harassed. Many women dreaded going to mandatory meetings, describing that they were viewed and treated as “meat, being shopped.” Former employees who reported abuse or sought help were allegedly terminated, retaliated against, and some were also falsely accused of crimes.

Claimants are now seeking punitive damages and years of back pay. If the company loses the case, it is projected to have to pay significant and substantial damages.

Sexual Harassment Reports at Uber

Recent allegations against harassment at Uber indicate that not only are harassment and obstacles to reporting it present in the company’s workplace, but online trolls and victim-blaming behavior from the Human Resources department are rampant. It has become such an issue that former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is now leading an investigation into the claims, many of which involve online harassment.

The Uber case shows us that some people view sexual harassment as something that can only take place in-person, and not online. However, the internet has become inextricably involved in out everyday, offline lives. Companies must have an enforceable code of conduct in place to prevent such behavior.

New York City Attorneys Fighting Workplace Harassment

Blaming the victim is never ok. If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual harassment, or any other form of harassment, in the workplace, contact an attorney to fight for you.

With over 20 years of experience and a strong focus on sexual harassment cases, our team of experienced sexual harassment attorneys are here to help you obtain justice. Contact us today at 212-JUSTICE or at info@employeejustice.com for a free consultation, and we will get started helping you.

2020-10-27T22:14:32+00:00March 15th, 2017|Sexual Harassment|

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I am very amazed and pleased for the wonderful work Diego Barros did for me and our co-workers, speechless to see how wonderful and constructive everything work. First time with Diego Barros and i am totally impressed to have seen how great you have worked for all of us, i will totally recommend you to anybody who is in need of help without at doubt at all in all senses.

Mr. Diego helped me WIN and reach a great settlement. Wages recovered from lack of pay and serious misconducts from employer. He was very informative and easy to talk to every step of the way. Very happy with the settlement I received. He will go for the win and get you what you deserve! If you having problems with employment I give Mr. Diego my full recommendation to get your issues resolved.

Jon and his team are amazing. They fought every step of the way for me and my family. My case was handled with such care and concern and Jon’s honesty gave me great confidence in his ability to win my case.

To have Bennitta Joseph who wins high profile cases against companies like Delta is a win for any company. The fact that they equip entrepreneurs like me with tools to compete with fortune 500 is a competitive advantage. If you are a company that deals with people and wants to succeed, hiring her is a must!

This was the first and hopefully my last lawsuit and the process wasn’t what I thought. The patience shown to me (even when I became frustrated) was great. Everyone showed respect, sensitivity, and I’d recommend the firm to everyone. Losing my job set me behind on several bills, but I can now pay them. The situation I went through will help me going forward.

This was the first and hopefully my last lawsuit and the process wasn’t what I thought. The patience shown to me (even when I became frustrated) was great. Everyone showed respect, sensitivity, and I’d recommend the firm to everyone. Losing my job set me behind on several bills, but I can now pay them. The situation I went through will help me going forward.

Bennitta Joseph is committed to Justice. After be wronged at work in 2015, and discriminated against I felt very hopeless and wronged. I felt as though I had no hope standing up to a corporate giant, and no chance of winning. After explaining my case and sharing the facts Bennitta felt differently. She did warn me it would be a long and tough road and that I had to have thick skin. In my experience if you take Bennitta’s lead and trust her legal experience no case it too big, or too small for her…

Me trataron muy bien y estoy satisfecho con el servicio. Inicialmente llamé para unirme a un caso anterior, pero cuando ya era demasiado tarde para unirme a ese caso, estaban felices de luchar por un segundo caso. No pensé que podrían hacer que otro caso funcionara, pero lo hicieron. Aprendí cuáles son mis derechos en cuanto a salario mínimo y tiempo extra y puedo usar esta información en el futuro. Recomiendo mucho la oficina.

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I am very amazed and pleased for the wonderful work Diego Barros did for me and our co-workers, speechless to see how wonderful and constructive everything work. First time with Diego Barros and i am totally impressed to have seen how great you have worked for all of us, i will totally recommend you to anybody who is in need of help without at doubt at all in all senses.
Ysaac G
Mr. Diego helped me WIN and reach a great settlement. Wages recovered from lack of pay and serious misconducts from employer. He was very informative and easy to talk to every step of the way. Very happy with the settlement I received. He will go for the win and get you what you deserve! If you having problems with employment I give Mr. Diego my full recommendation to get your issues resolved. 
D.F.
To have Bennitta Joseph who wins high profile cases against companies like Delta is a win for any company. The fact that they equip entrepreneurs like me with tools to compete with fortune 500 is a competitive advantage. If you are a company that deals with people and wants to succeed, hiring her is a must!
Karleen L.
This was the first and hopefully my last lawsuit and the process wasn’t what I thought.  The patience shown to me (even when I became frustrated) was great.  Everyone showed respect, sensitivity, and I’d recommend the firm to everyone.  Losing my job set me behind on several bills, but I can now pay them.  The situation I went through will help me going forward. 
Isaiah B.
I had an excellent experience with the firm and with Bennitta Joseph as my attorney. Everyone I dealt with was extremely courteous, friendly and very helpful. The settlement will help me financially as I look for a job.
Kate P.

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