If you have been reading our San Diego employment law blog for awhile now, you may have realized that sexual harassment in the workplace and other violations of employees’ rights happen all too often. In many cases, employees continue to return to a hostile work environment because they do not understand their rights or because they are afraid to speak up about the wrongdoings of a manager.
However, employees need to understand that they are protected by many state and federal laws in California. They can use these laws to their advantage to make sure that an employer is held accountable for violating the rights of employees and to protect other employees from being discriminated against, harassed or wrongfully terminated in the future.
After claiming that the work environment at a Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Chula Vista, California, became too difficult to endure, four female employees recently announced that they are filing a lawsuit against the company and a male supervisor citing sexual harassment.
According to the women, a male supervisor at a Chick-Fil-A in Chula Vista has been sexually harassing employees for two years. The women said that they were threatened by the store owner when they raised complaints about the issue. They are all from different ethnic backgrounds, and they were allegedly told that they could be deported if they raised further complaints at the company.
However, one employee said that the work environment just got worse and the male supervisor would even harass employees when customers were at the restaurant. She reported that one time her boss took her into a walk-in refrigerator and kissed her and sexually touched her. Although the restaurant does have cameras, the four women reported that the incidents occurred in locations where there were no cameras.
The female employees are seeking an undisclosed amount in damages. One of the Chick-Fil-A employees is currently on disability leave.
Source: 10News, “Sex Harassment Suit Filed Against Chick-Fil-A,” Jan. 6, 2012