Staffing Company Unlawfully Fired Employee Who Reported Sexual Harassment, Federal Agency Charged
ATLANTA - Jiudicy, Inc., doing business as Labor Finders, one of the country's largest industrial labor staffing companies, will pay $150,000 to settle a retaliation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
According to the EEOC's suit, Jiudicy unlawfully terminated a female office administrator in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment. The employee worked at Juidicy's Cumming, Ga., location and reported that she received sexually harassing phone calls from her supervisor. The company conducted an internal investigation into her complaint. Three days after the complaint, the company fired her, citing six separate reasons for the termination. Jiudicy then had her escorted off the premises by police officers.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits retaliation for opposing discriminatory conduct. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Jiudicy, Inc., d/b/a Labor Finders., Case No. 2:09-cv-00163) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Gainesville Division, after first attempting a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
In addition to the monetary relief, the two-year consent decree settling the suit includes provisions for equal employment opportunity training, reporting and posting of anti-discrimination notices. Jiudicy denied any liability or wrongdoing.
"Employees have a federally-protected and unqualified right to report unlawful discrimination," said Robert Dawkins, regional attorney for the EEOC's Atlanta District Office. "The anti-retaliation provisions of Title VII were specifically enacted to prevent the type of conduct that the EEOC alleges occurred in this case."
The EEOC's Atlanta District Office enforces the federal discrimination employment laws in Georgia and parts of South Carolina.
Eliminating policies and practices that discourage or prohibit individuals from exercising their rights under employment discrimination statutes, or that impede the EEOC's investigative or enforcement efforts, is one of six national priorities identified by the Commission's Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP).
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov.
