Sexual harassment in Virginia workplaces is an unfortunate reality for many women who face intolerable and illegal conduct while on the job. A recent survey showed exactly how bad the problem is for a certain subset of women in the workplace. Roughly 75% of women who work in a McDonald’s restaurant have reported being the victim of sexual harassment at work.
Beyond the top-line number, other individual stats of this survey were extremely disturbing. According to researchers, 22% of female McDonald’s employees said that co-workers or managers requested sexual favors in exchange for promotions or extra hours. Nearly all respondents noted that they were either the recipient of suggestive looks or inappropriate comments while on the job. However, in many cases, the extent of the illegal behavior went far beyond that. Nearly one in five workers reported that they were threatened when they rebuffed sexual advances, and 12% of those workers reported that the encounter resulted in rape.
McDonald’s reiterates its commitment to a harassment-free workplace. However, in light of the company’s response, one can legitimately question the depth of this commitment. The company tried to cast doubt on the survey by noting that the sample size was very small. McDonald’s apparently believes that this may lessen the scope of the problem in its restaurants despite the illegal conduct detailed by many female employees.
Those employees who have experienced behavior similar to that reported by McDonald’s employees can take legal action to hold the employer responsible. They may be able to make their employer pay for what they had to endure. An attorney who practices employment law for workers may help those who have been sexual harassment victims and want to file a lawsuit against the company where the illegal behavior occurred.
