Construction Firm to Pay $50K to Settle Retaliation Claim

Pro Pallet, LLC, a Pennsylvania-based construction company, will pay $50,000 and furnish other relief to settle a retaliation lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, a human resources manager received a complaint of sexual harassment against the general manager of the company. When the human resources manager began to investigate the complaint, Pro Pallet’s president and owner rebuked her for carrying out that duty, reassigned important responsibilities of her job to other employees and excluded her from company meetings, the EEOC alleged. As a result of these retaliatory actions by Pro Pallet, the human resources manager resigned.

EEOC said that this alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits retaliation against employees who oppose employment practices that they reasonably believe to be discriminatory, such as alleged sexual harassment.

The EEOC said it filed its suit in federal district court in Pennsylvania after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement.

=While ProPallet agreed to the terms of the consent decree, the company did not admit to any liability.

In addition to requiring the company to pay $50,000 to the employee, the decree prohibits the company from retaliating against employees who oppose employment practices they reasonably believe to be discriminatory, including sexual harassment; requires the company to amend its policies on discrimination and retaliation; mandates Title VII training; and requires the company to report information to the EEOC concerning future complaints of discrimination and retaliation for a period of three years.

Topics Construction