Georgia Employment Lawsuits Take on Sexual Harassment

Atlanta, GAGeorgia employment lawsuits alleging sexual harassment and other violations of federal and Georgia state labor laws can help employees recover wages lost for refusal to comply with an employer's unethical demands. They can also help restore employees who have been wrongfully terminated, in violation of federal or Georgia employment law, to their former employment. Finally, they can help ensure the rights of other employees are also protected, and hopefully prevent other employees from ever being in similar situations.

A sexual harassment case filed against a Georgia-based company was recently settled for $110,000. The lawsuit, filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleged that a male supervisor sexually harassed an employee. That harassment allegedly involved making inappropriate comments, demanding sexual favors and inappropriately touching the employee.

According to the lawsuit, the victim made an anonymous complaint against her supervisor, but was fired in early 2009. That firing, however, allegedly did not put an end to the harassment. The lawsuit, as cited by The Times-Picayune (02/25/211), claims the supervisor repeatedly called the victim and offered to give her the job back if she would have sex with him.

Under the settlement, the victim will receive $100,000 while another former employee, who also claimed harassment by the same manager, will receive $10,000.

Georgia labor law says employers should have a non-harassment policy that should include procedures for reporting harassment and providing employees with a means of bypassing their immediate supervisor. Furthermore, the non-harassment policy should include provisions that prevent employers or supervisors from retaliating against employees who complain about harassment.

In addition to Georgia labor law, a federal law called Title VII prohibits sexual harassment. Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests or demands for sexual favors, or any other conduct that is of a sexual nature and affects an individual's employment or creates an offensive work environment. Under Title VII, it is illegal for an employer to retaliate against an employee for complaining about sexual harassment.