MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Five Things Organizations Still Get Wrong About Sexual Harassment

Even well-meaning organizations continue to botch their harassment training, investigation, and disciplining practices, leaving themselves vulnerable to both legal liability and loss of talent.

Although the #MeToo movement shed light on the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace, employers have been slow to make any substantial changes to address the harassment epidemic. As a result, organizations often find themselves in indefensible positions when they are sued for sexual harassment.

The talent retention risks to organizations are significant on their own. Then there are the legal and financial risks. Good employees will not only leave bad organizations but also sometimes sue them. Despite the drop in the number of claims during the height of COVID-19 era, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reports that monetary benefits awarded to plaintiffs were nonetheless more than 30% higher in 2022 than they were at the start of the #MeToo movement in 2017. Final figures for 2023 are apt to be significantly higher, particularly given the historic $215 million awarded to plaintiffs in a settlement reached with Goldman Sachs in May 2023.

About the Author

Caren Goldberg is a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Universidad de Sevilla. She has served as an expert witness in over 30 cases involving sexual harassment and discrimination, including the gender discrimination case brought by the U.S. Women’s National Team against the U.S. Soccer Federation.

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