Author: Jonathan L. Bobbitt

Let’s start with the big number first: 69,000 women – 69,000!!!!! These women, current and former employees of Sterling Jewelers, are part of a class-action lawsuit that began in 2008. (For context, Sterling owns Kay Jewelers and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry.)

Now, according to the Washington Post, “Declarations from roughly 250 women and men who worked at Sterling, filed as part of a private class-action arbitration case, allege that female employees at the company throughout the late 1990s and 2000s were routinely groped, demeaned and urged to sexually cater to their bosses to stay employed,” and that Sterling’s “chief executive and other company leaders presided over a corporate culture that fostered rampant sexual harassment and discrimination.”

The article from the Post paints a raw picture of the allegations in the case. The managers at Kay and Jared, engaged in acts of sexual harassment and discrimination such as:

• Holding “scouting parties” to seek out female employees with whom they would like to have sex.
• Engaging in quid pro quo harassment, where female employees were promised raises and promotions in exchange for sexual favors; they referred to this as “going to the big stage.”
• Paying female employees less than their male counterparts in the same positions.
• Verbally attacking, and eventually terminating, female employees.
• Making jokes about female employees’ bodies.
• Routinely passing over female employees for promotions in favor of giving those new positions to male employees.

I wish we could say we were surprised by the accusations, but we’re not: we’ve represented women in sexual harassment and discrimination cases against the jewelry industry before. We know exactly what kind of hostile work environment was created for male and female employees alike, based on a culture where illegal behaviors like these are rewarded, not punished.

Fair and equal treatment for these victims has been a long time coming – 10 years, by the time the first witnesses are called in 2018. We hope they get it.

The Gilbert Firm provides comprehensive counsel for victims of sexual harassment and discrimination. To schedule a consultation with Jonathan Bobbitt, Justin Gilbert or one of our Tennessee sexual harassment attorneys, please call 888.996.9731, or fill out our contact form.

A hostile work environment is something that we get calls on a lot. “Hostile work environment” is one of those phrases that the general public uses to describe bad things at are going on at work – and not all of them are actionable. But, it is true that an employee has a right to be free from harassment, intimidation, and extremely uncomfortable work environments. And so, we analyze each of those calls here at The Firm, to be sure that it is actually a claim that is actionable as a hostile work environment.

The most common hostile work environment is sexual harassment, but there are many others. Any sort of harassment that someone is undergoing can be considered a hostile work environment. For example: harassment based upon race, harassment based upon gender, harassment based upon your sincerely held religious beliefs – all of those can also be considered a hostile work environment.

If you are unsure whether or not the way you have been, or are being, treated is the basis for a claim, come see us. The Tennessee employment attorneys of the Gilbert Firm have the experience, skills and resources to handle all manner of claims involving harassment and hostile work environments. We can help you pursue justice and protect your rights. To speak with Jonathan Bobbitt, or one of our lawyer sin Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Jackson or Knoxville, please call 888.996.9731, or fill out our contact form.

Casey Affleck, younger brother of Ben Affleck, just won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his work in Manchester by the Sea. Clearly, he is a talented actor. Before he won, however, the news was filled with stories about his alleged acts of sexual harassment against two women back in 2010. And so the debates ensue over separating the art from the artist, and whether doing so allows the actor to avoid culpability for those alleged actions.

But, this story is far bigger than Casey Affleck. That is, that Hollywood has been using sexual harassment as a foil for comedy for decades. A couple of years ago, Buzzfeed put together a list of 11 movies that use sexual harassment and assault for laughs, and, candidly, the breakdown is anything but funny.

This tired old trope of (generally speaking) men subjecting women to hostile work environments in order to get a laugh isn’t funny; it’s never been funny. The EEOC reports that in 2015, 6,822 charges alleging sexual harassment were made by employees throughout the country. That doesn’t even touch the number of actual incidents of workplace harassment… not even close. Yet even now, TV and movies continue to use sexual harassment for the purpose of making a joke.

This normalizes the behavior – grants permission to men (and women) to behave in this way. And when the victim refuses the aggressor’s advances, or files a complaint, that victim becomes the one who “can’t take a joke.” The man or woman is then victimized a second time, and the cycle continues.

Talking about sexual harassment

The allegations against Casey Affleck are even more serious; one woman accuses him of acts that border on, if not cross the line into, sexual assault. Alas, Affleck is hardly alone. There is a long list of A, B and C list celebrities and politicians who have been accused of sexual harassment at some point in their careers. And, this isn’t just happening on the left and right coasts of the country. Numerous Tennessee women endue sex-based harassment every day. There has to be a way to “de-normalize” this behavior.

One thing we can do is demand accountability from those who commit the acts, whether they’re movie stars, politicians, CEOs, executives, managers or the co-workers we work with every day. If a man or woman is making unwanted advances towards you, making you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, or is contributing to a hostile work environment, you do have legal options available to you to force that behavior to end.

At the Gilbert Firm, our Tennessee sexual harassment attorneys like Jonathan Bobbitt fight on behalf of employees just like you. If your rights have been violated, or if you wish to find out more about our employment services, please call 888.996.9731 or fill out our contact form. We maintain offices in Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Jackson and Knoxville, so we are always close by when you need us.

One of the most common calls that we get for hostile work environment is sexual harassment. And sexual harassment is an unwelcomed sexual advance that creates a hostile, uncomfortable work environment for the employee.

There are really two types of sexual harassment: one is the hostile environment that we’re talking about. This can be where a co-worker, or a supervisor or anyone is inappropriately touching the employee, sending inappropriate messages via email or text; perhaps they are requesting sexual favors. There are many different ways that a worker can be made to feel uncomfortable in that scenario.

The other type of sexual harassment is called quid pro quo, which is a situation in which a supervisor or a boss suggests to the employee that, in exchange for whatever sexual favor they [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][the supervisor or boss] want, they [the employee] may get an employment benefit to go along with that. Now, sometimes it may be, “If you do this for me I won’t fire you” or “we won’t reduce your pay,” or maybe they say “If you do this for me, I’ll see that you get that promotion,” “I’ll see that you get a raise” or “you’ll get to keep your job.” And that is when a boss or the supervisor is offering something of value in exchange for a sexual favor.

You have the right to safe environment

There is never a reason for an employee to feel unsafe in the work place because of sexual harassment. This type of behavior is illegal at both the state and federal level, and we fight to uphold the laws for the safety and protection of our clients. If you have been subjected to acts of harassment by co-workers, supervisors, executives, or anyone you work with, you may have legal options available to you.

At the Gilbert Firm, we advocate on behalf of Tennessee employees every day. When your rights have been violated, you can rely on us to seek justice for you. To learn more about what constitutes sexual harassment, or to make an appointment with an experienced Tennessee sexual harassment attorney like Jonathan Bobbitt, please call 888.996.9731, or fill out our contact form. We maintain offices in Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Jackson and Knoxville, so we are always close by when you need us.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]