Compliance June 5, 2006

Two Companies Settle Discrimination Suits With EEOC

June 5, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The EEOC filed separate discrimination lawsuits in 2004 against Wal-Mart and in 2005 against R.T.G. Furniture alleging that managers and supervisors at the two stores made the work environment "sexually hostile" for the five female employees.
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The lawsuit claims that both stores did nothing to remedy the situation, despite the employees’ complaints to management regarding inappropriate sexual conduct, vulgar language, as well as other lewd behavior.

Wal-Mart gave three female employees $315,000 in a settlement. The women, who worked at a store inBradenton, Florida, alleged that they underwent “egregious sexual and racial harassment,” according to the EEOC release. Wal-Mart also agreed to post its anti-discrimination policy, provide annual manager training regarding sexual harassment and comply with a three-year monitoring period by the EEOC regarding Title VII, as well as other non-monetary relief.

According to the Herald-Tribune inSouthwest Florida, Wal-Mart will pay one woman who quit her job $40,000 in lost wages. The company will also pay compensatory and punitive damages of $160,000, $90,000 and $25,000.

R.T.G. agreed to pay $275,000 to two women who contended that they were sexually harassed by their supervisor, abuse which included racial slurs, according to the EEOC news release. R.T.G. also agreed to a three-year monitoring period with the EEOC, annual training for managers and supervisors about Title VII requirements and to post an anti-discrimination notice.

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