The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just released preliminary data on sexual harassment lawsuits and charges for Fiscal Year 2018, “highlighting its significant work this past year to address the pervasive problem of workplace harassment.”
Expressing pride in the EEOC staff who “stepped up to the heightened demand of the #MeToo movement, the Commission announced it had filed 41 sexual harassment lawsuits, 50% more than in the previous fiscal year, and accepted 12% more sexual harassment charges than in the previous fiscal year. The Commission also claimed it had recovered almost $70 million for victims of sexual harassment, far more than the $47.5 million the previous year.
The Commission touted its “Respectful Workplaces” training program for supervisors and employees, claiming that over 9,000 employees and supervisors had participated in the training in the past fiscal year, but says it “recognizes that more can and should be done.” The subject of workplace harassment is clearly on the EEOC’s radar screen as a new fiscal year starts.