Fred Meyer Stores Settles EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit for $485k

Oregon-based Fred Meyer Stores, Inc. has agreed to pay $485,000 in settlement in an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sexual harassment lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, the company condoned an atmosphere of sexual harassment in which even the store director and operations manager participated. The EEOC alleged, among other things, that the store director and operations manager repeatedly subjected female employees to graphic sexual discussions, unwanted touching, and requests for sexual favors.

The company's Human Resources Manager witnessed the harassing conduct on several occasions and, rather than stopping it, simply walked away. Worsening the situation, the company retaliated against the female employees who complained about the behavior.

In addition to paying the monetary settlement, Fred Meyer must take the following measures:

• Provide anti-discrimination training for the owner and all managers and employees of the company
• Establish sexual harassment policies
• Provide reports to the EEOC on discrimination complaints
• Allow the EEOC to monitor the site for the next two years