Hans Riede Comments on Sexual Harassment Policies for HR Executive Article
Hans Riede, Quarles & Brady’s Washington, D.C., chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group, was quoted in an HR Executive article about implication for human resources leaders of a recent court ruling regarding a sexual harassment case involving McDonald’s.
In January, a Delaware judge ruled that, in addition to the company itself, McDonald’s shareholders also could sue the company’s former chief human resources officer for his role in enabling the situation. The article delves into what this ruling means for how HR leaders approach sexual harassment in the workplace.
In an excerpt, Riede explained the importance of a thoughtful approach to creating a sexual harassment policy:
“Any policy should be drafted to provide clear guidance on how to handle allegations of favoritism and conflicts of interest,” says Riede, the employment lawyer, who adds that it’s also important that such policies be tailored to the culture and the unique circumstances of a specific company.
“The company should consider the complications and ramifications involved if, for example, two employees date from the same department or two employees from different departments date when the relationship could create a conflict of interest,” Riede adds. “For example, if one of the employees is in HR, will this create a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict?”