Employers may be “automatically liable for harassment by a supervisor that results in a negative employment action such as termination, failure to promote or hire, and loss of wages,” according to EEOC. Employers that act appropriately when harassment complaints are made have a strong defense in face of a legal claim.
The EEOC has sued several employers recently, alleging that they ignored the hostile work environments created by managers and supervisors. The agency took an Arkansas Pei Wei to court, for example, for allegedly ignoring complaints that two managers were sexually harassing employees.