Youth @ Work
This article provided by the Seattle Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The young workers at Krispy Kreme in Issaquah didn't like the way their managers were treating them. Some managers would make inappropriate sexual comments, follow female employees into secluded areas, and make unwelcome sexual advances and demands for sexual favors. The employees, not sure what they could do about the harassment, gave in or begrudgingly accepted the harassment as part of the job. Eventually, some of them confided in one of their older co-workers, who was shocked and informed them that what they were experiencing was illegal and that they did not have to take it. Some of the employees complained, only to find themselves working fewer hours or not working at Krispy Kreme at all.
This type of harassment is disturbingly common in workplaces across the country. In the Seattle area alone, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has brought dozens of lawsuits in the last few years in order to enforce compliance with federal anti-harassment and anti-discrimination laws. The EEOC is the agency in charge of enforcing compliance with federal laws relating to unfair treatment or harassment in the workplace due to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability, or age for workers over the age of 40. The EEOC also protects workers against retaliation as a result of complaints about discrimination or harassment at work.
Restaurants have been involved in many of the cases involving teens, although they are not the only workplace where harassment and discrimination occur. Teenage workers are particularly vulnerable to workplace harassment for a variety of reasons. For many, it is their first job, and they may not be familiar with the laws relating to workplace discrimination and harassment. Although an employer must have at least 15 employees before EEOC will have jurisdiction over sexual, national origin, and racial harassment, employees are covered whether they are full-time, part-time, seasonal, or just working for a short period of time such as during school breaks or summer vacation. Teens may not be aware that sexual harassment laws apply to everyone, no matter what their age. Harassing behavior does not just have to happen at the workplace for it to be illegal. Any persistent and pervasive behavior involving co-workers, managers, supervisors or customers that has the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment is against the law.
Sexual harassment is especially troubling when it happens to teens at their first job. It can set a precedent in the minds of teens as to what is and what is not acceptable in the workplace. It can also lead to lowered self-esteem and trouble with school and academic achievement. Recently, the EEOC launched the Youth@Work initiative, a grassroots program designed as a proactive approach to preventing discrimination and harassment of teen workers. You can learn more about the Youth@Work initiative at .
If you or anyone else you know is subject to workplace discrimination or harassment, don't just take it; tell the offender to stop and report it to your supervisor, manager, or the Seattle District Office of the EEOC at (206) 220-6883 or 909 First Avenue, Suite 400, Seattle, WA, 98104. Don't delay reporting harassing or discriminatory behavior you may have experienced, as federal law requires illegal workplace harassment or discrimination to be reported within 300 days of the offense.
© 2005 OCA-Greater Seattle
OCA - GREATER SEATTLE CHAPTER