Axis Insurance Services Blog

Professional Liability Insurance in the #MeToo Era

Written by Drew Smith | Feb 13, 2019 5:02:58 PM

The #Metoo movement has changed many ways in how businesses are run. Women now feel brave enough to open up about harassment whereas before, they were bribed or forced into silence. With the increase in accusations, companies begin to run into increasing liability to protect all of their employees.

The numbers have been showing how much this has impacted the changes. In one study by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), results showed that the number of sexual harassment claims have gone up particularly in the last six months. A quarter of the women surveyed said they had experienced what they considered sexual harassment compared to 12% of men in the same survey. This results in a rise of claims related to harassment, with most coming from retaliation towards unwanted advances. [1]

As a result, many companies need to change or update their polices. As the number of cases rise, liability and  behavior becomes increasingly important. Be sure to have your facts straight before launching a potential life changing investigation.

 

[1] https://www.propertycasualty360.com/2018/12/04/epli-in-the-metoo-era/?kw=EPLI%20in%20the%20%23MeToo%20era&et=editorial&bu=PC360&cn=20181228&src=EMC-Email&pt=Daily