America’s workplaces are getting more demanding, and they are meeting the challenge by getting more diverse. Innovation and efficiency thrives with multiple viewpoints among employees and managers, and the tech and industry centers in California have grown at incredible speeds with this concept.
The Golden State is not immune to outdated patterns of inappropriate workplace behavior that can strangle productivity and destroy morale. The most progressive employers have no tolerance for these problems and exceed state guidelines in preventing harassment and discrimination in their offices and worksites.
Employees at a major tech company based in California allege that senior leadership failed to stop harassment due to ethnicity and sexual orientation. Three black men claim they were subjected to verbal abuse and other attacks, while a homosexual employee was allegedly harassed for his clothing.
Unrelated charges against the same company claim the sexual harassment of and gender-based pay discrimination against women. A female engineer described a pattern of clear retaliation for reporting these problems to management.
The company has denied all charges thus far, denying several responsibilities due to some claimants’ status as contractors instead of full-time employees. This work status can complicate claims, but the rights of all in an office to not be subject to degrading behavior is universal.
An attorney with experience in fighting workplace discrimination can help those who have experienced it to determine the best way to recover their dignity and career options, as well as prevent future bad behavior through mediation, settlements and court actions.
Source: The Guardian, “Tesla workers claim anti-LGBT threats, taunts, and racial abuse in lawsuits,” Sam Levin, Oct. 19, 2017