Yesterday, I met with people who were harassed on the job in Bend, Oregon. The bad boss, in Bend, was an idiot in an unprofessional organization. Sometimes, we think that people and companies who violate the laws against sexual or racial harassment must be unsophisticated. The news about Mark Hurd resigning as Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett-Packard because of sexual harassment shows that women and others are not safe even in the most sophisticated workplaces in the world.
HP's press release does what it must. It acknowledges that Mr. Hurd was caught, and HP reinforced the allegedly high corporate standards that are observed in their breaking. It goes on to assure shareholders that all's well in the corporation. Ironically, HP still has posted the statement from Mark Hurd in 2006, also commenting on the company's standards of ethics being broken under the reign of Senate Candidate Carly Fiorina.
Sexual harassment at work continues to be a problem. Sexual harassment is not just men wanting sex from women. It also includes mistreatment of women even when no sex is at issue. For example, I settled a case arising out of a Portland, Oregon warehouse, where the men verbally abused the only woman worker. Giving women the crummy jobs is another form of harassment. So be alert: harassment is just another form of discrimination based upon gender - sometimes sex or requests for sex or dates has nothing to do with it.
Jeff Merrick, Oregon Trial Attorney
Injury & Employment Law
503-665-4234
