Running head: EMC Confronts Harassment Charges
EMC Confronts Harassment Charges
Milissa Bell
Kaplan University
AB203: Human Resources Management
Prof. Carol Hannon
May 27, 2013
EMC Confronts Harassment Charges
Introduction
EMC Corporation is an aggressive sales company that specializes in IT software however it also a company plagued by sexual harassment accusations. More than six lawsuits have been filed against the company, which have stemmed two class action lawsuits and 30 affidavits filed. These affidavits include claims of male employees displaying behavior that inflicted sexual harassment and discrimination upon the female employees. They also claim that the salesmen are very aggressive in nature and because
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This constitutes harassment because the women were treated differently simply because they were women.
EMC has touted itself as having a very aggressive sales force. They also claim the reason for this is they primarily recruit former college athletes, who tend to be more competitive. Because of the fact the male sales force is dominant in both number and spirit and also overly competitive; this put the women at a disadvantage. Increasing the ratio of women to men with the sales department can maintain the level of aggressive selling while diluting the testosterone levels in the department. Recruiting female college athletes is a possible way of keeping the competitive edge without the harassment. The current environment and culture of EMC seems conducive to sexual harassment rather than preventative. At some point, company sales may have to be sacrificed for a hostility free work environment.
While Frank Houck addressed the issue, he did little to validate the claims or admit the slightest of wrongdoing. While the company maintains they have a zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment, the evidence indicates otherwise. The HR department of EMC needs to extensively train their sales staff on sexual harassment and also create an effective way for someone to report harassment in a way that does not induce retaliation. Management must be ready to act upon allegations of harassment and not merely sweep them under the rug. Many of these
After reviewing the data it is apparent the promotional rate of women in managerial positions when compared to the men is disproportional to the size of the population. This shows disparate treatment, the company hires women, but women do not promote at the same pace as men. This shows strong evidence of discrimination and if not resolved will lead to a violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Harassment and discrimination claims are due to lack of education about the subject. As an independent human resources consultant, Santiago-Santos will organize a local education campaign and provide employers with different trainings to educate them and their employees about harassment and discrimination. Employers will have a better understanding on how to develop internal policies and procedures to address these claims. Also, trainings will be provided for employees and they will be educated on how to prevent and identify harassment and discrimination as well as what steps to take in order to report such behavior.
Harassment has plagued the world for centuries. Why should the workplace be any different? Sexual harassment and workplace violence are not only of historical roots, but contemporary issues are still present in the workforce today. Managers are addressing and combating modern sexual harassment and workplace violence, however instances still occur (Robbins, Decenzo & Coulter, 2011).
In corporate America, sexual harassment is a huge concern amongst many organizations. The matter of sexual harassment is an issue that needs to be immediately attended to in
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Mitsubishi Motors in April of 1996 in regard to claims of widespread sexual harassment at the company’s plan in Normal, Illinois. “The lawsuit contends that as many as 700 women were subjected to groping and sexual remarks, creating a "hostile and abusive work environment" that went unchecked for years at the Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America plant” (“U.S. Charges,” 1996). It is despicable that situation like this was allowed to happen and perhaps even more astonishing is the magnitude at which it took place. While most of the harassment “came from male assembly line workers or low-level managers,” high-level managers at plant knew of the offenses and allowed them to take place without consequences (“U.S. Charges,”
Harassment, specifically sexual harassment, is one of those challenges faced by businesses and employers as of a result of workplace diversification. Inappropriate conversations, unwanted advances and uncomfortable physical contact are some of the ways sexual harassment can occur. According to Hellriegel and Slocum, “Sexual harassment refers to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.” (p.52). To be clear, sexual harassment can, and has, affected both women and men over the years however up to half of all working women have reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment in the career (Vijayasiri, 2008, p.1). It wasn’t until 1986 though that the Supreme Court recognized sexual harassment as a violation of Title VII in the case of Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson (O’Brien, 1994, p. 1). Before the high court’s ruling, however, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had begun to address the issue by drafting hostile work environment guidelines that included sexual harassment (O’Brien, 1994, p. 4). These guidelines would serve later to guide the high court’s decision. There are many more cases like this one we could look at. In 1991, sexual harassment became a household term as Anita Hill testified before congress stating she was sexually
Sexual harassment is a demeaning practice, one that constitutes a profound affront to the dignity of the employees forced to endure it. By requiring an employee to contend with unwelcome sexual actions or explicit sexual demands, sexual harassment in the workplace attacks the dignity and self-respect of the victim both as an employee and as a human being. Sexual harassment is well defined as an unwelcome sexual request for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. In many countries, sexual harassment is considered a form of sexual abuse and employment discrimination. Sexual harassment is most prevalent is organizations both professional and academic, though it can occur almost anywhere.
Injustices in this world infect people's lives like diseases. One in particular has not only developed over the years, but cases spring up in the most unthought of places. This injustice commonly known as sexual harassment affects women, children, and occasionally men all across the globe. There are many aspects when it comes to sexual harassment including its background, opposing viewpoints on the popular belief, the popular viewing, sexual harassment in today's society, solutions to the problem, and what the future would be like without this injustice on the world's hands.
Work place policies regarding sexual harassment is the main issue discussed in this article. Sexual harassment has continued to be a challenge within the workplace. According to a recent review of sexual harassment related resolutions, employers have paid over $732,976.00 in sexual harassment fines (Hobson, Szostek, & Fitzgerald, 2015). The EEOC has issued written guidelines for appropriate strategies employers should use to handle workplace sexual harassment and specific ways to address it. It is the employer’s duty to proactively work to protect all employees from any type of sexual harassment by following sexual harassment policies and procedures that are put in place. Failure to implement and follow the policy and procedure in the workplace can and most likely will lead to liability should an EEOC investigation or lawsuit occur. The employer needs to disperse copies of the policies and procedures and post them in central locations throughout the organization and address sexual harassment in the employee handbooks. The policy and procedures need to clear
A meeting with the women going through issues of sexual harassment and the executives taking initial responsibility to punish or warn people harassing women.
See Chapter 3 - Equal Employment Opportunity and Human Resources Management: Case Study 2: Misplaced Affections: Discharge for Sexual Harassment
In accordance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) situations that sexual harassment might occur can be verbal and/or physical in manner such as:
During the last decade women have begun to speak out against sexual harassment which has made many employers set a zero tolerance of sexual harassment in the workplace. In most organizations there are policies and guidelines created to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace and procedures to follow if an employee feels that they have been sexually harassed.
In today’s society we constantly hear or read about individuals that claim they were a victim of sexual pressure. These instances can take place at work, school, the military and even at church. But exactly what is sexual exploitation or unwanted sexual behavior? After looking at several definitions for sexual abuse I came across the following definition that I feel will help all of us to better understand what inappropriate sexual behavior is. Sexual harassment was defined by The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as unwelcome advances and requests for sexual behavior or conditional requests such as a person’s employment will continue if they perform these acts. (Gale Group, 2003). This definition left me thinking and
Sexual Harassment in school usually occurs during passing, recess, or during lunch. Sexual harassment can range from a quick glance to a hoot or whistle. In many cases, one does not know that they are being harassed or harassing someone. Maybe a friend tells you a dirty joke or someone who you see everyday and who you do not know gives you an unusual smile. Do you feel offended by the joke? Are you uncomfortable with the person giving you a smile? Some may say that this is more of a paranoia problem and then just push it aside, but in most cases, it is not.