Workplace Sexual Harassment Law: Principles, Landmark Developments, and Framework for Effective Risk Management

Workplace sexual harassment law can be a tangle for business. This book brings clarity to this confusing area of employment law and blazes a new pathway in the discussions by employing a comprehensive, yet simple and concise approach. The chapters are a self-contained discussion of issues such as retaliation and constructive discharge, merged with substantive topics like quid pro quo and hostile environment sexual harassment. Achampong devotes significant attention to landmark developments shaping the law, and provides a holistic approach to managing the risk of liability for sexual harassment. This volume is an ideal reference and text for law and business professors and students, human resource managers, risk management consultants, and attorneys.

Sexual harassment is one of the most problematic issues in the American workplace and one that has captured much media attention following a number of high-profile lawsuits and congressional hearings. This increased awareness, along with several landmark developments such as the availability of damages under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, has led to an astronomical rise in sexual harassment lawsuits. Yet, sexual harassment law is often still misunderstood, to the point that some federal appeals courts have characterized it as chaotic, and have asked for Supreme Court direction. This book fills the need for a comprehensive text that is also concise and simple, in contrast to the voluminous texts that cater primarily to litigating attorneys and tend to be unsuitable for other constituents, such as law and business professors and students, human resource managers, and risk management consultants.

Achampong's is the only work that devotes several chapters to landmark developments such as third-party and same-sex sexual harassment and the only one that goes beyond merely discussing workplace harassment prevention to discussing risk management of liability for sexual harassment. It also discusses esoteric rules that apply to federal sector sexual harassment complainants. The appendices provide guidelines on discrimination; excerpts from the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991; a discussion of landmark Supreme Court cases; excerpts from the EEOC Compliance Manual; and EEOC policy guidelines on current issues of sexual harassment.

A comprehensive examination of workplace sexual harassment law including important issues, policies, landmark cases, and practical guidelines for effective risk management.

FRANCIS ACHAMPONG is Chair of the Department of Entrepreneurial Studies and Professor of Business Law and Insurance at Norfolk State University.