National Raisin will pay $2 million and its co-employer Select Staffing $500,000 to settle sexual harassment allegations brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The case charged a sexually hostile work environment at National Raisin, with supervisors taking no effective action to stop the harassment despite complaints that seasonal female workers were subject to “frequent unwanted groping, sexually explicit comments, requests for sexual favors, and retaliatory termination following complaints of harassment.”

The settlement requires Select Staffing to train temporary workers on their federal rights to be harassment free and to train executives and HR personnel to investigate, correct and prevent harassment. Select Staffing must also document complaints and actively ensure clients take appropriate corrective measures.

Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office, said: “We are seeing repeated issues with staffing agencies who ignore harassment of temporary workers on assignment. Staffing agencies are the direct employers of temporary workers; like all employers, Title VII requires that staffing agencies take action to protect their employees if they learn of third-party harassment at client worksites. We commend the women who came forward despite their fears and encourage others not to stay silent. To the EEOC, no one is above the law.”

For further information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

See also:

• Zip It: Mandatory Sexual Harassment Prevention Training (August 16,2024)
• Wolfman’s Extinction Looms: Supermarket Chain Charged for Allowing Years of Sexual Harassment (July 19, 2024)
• EEOC Obtains $2 Million Settlement with McDonald’s Franchisees for Tolerating Sexual Harassment (February 10, 2023)

Helena Kobrin
September 13, 2024