New Troubles for Working Teens; Sex Harassment Claims on the Rise
When it comes to sexual harassment, lawyers have done a thorough job educating adult workers about the limits of acceptable behavior in the workplace. The same can’t be said of the youth workforce, however, as studies have shown an increase in sexual harassment claims.
Employment lawyers say suits by teen workers could become a major liability for businesses, and several recent court decisions involving teenage sexual harassment in the workplace attest to that.
“Really obvious sexual harassment [among adults] is declining,” says Jennifer A. Drobac, a law professor at Indiana University in Indianapolis who studies sex harassment and has written a legal textbook on the subject. “The problem with teens is that they don’t know right from wrong. They don’t know what is acceptable workplace behavior. Teens don’t get the training. They don’t read the manuals.”
While most American businesses have anti-harassment policies, procedures and training programs firmly in place for their adult workers, teenage workers often fall through the cracks. They tend to be part-time, temporary or seasonal. And in workplaces that commonly employ teens—fast-food restaurants, movie theaters and retail stores—managers also often are teenagers. Continue reading…
