Sexual Harassment?
Morgan Stanley > Sexual Harassment
Note: General facts about sexual harassment are towards the bottom of this page.
Sexual Harassment and Retaliation at Morgan Stanley
Ms. Allison Schieffelin, who has accused the investment bank of gender bias and retaliation after she complained to the EEOC, in her complaint mentioned the sexual harassment she suffered in 1995, and the retaliatory response of Morgan's senior management after she reported it.
Unwelcome Sexual Advances
In 1995, a Managing Director, made repeated unwelcome sexual advances toward her. At that time she was offered a new promising job that could lead to her promotion to Managing Director. However, in that position she had to report to the offending Managing Director. She turned down the offer and offered the sexual harassment as her reason.
Morgan Stanley's Response
The company informed her that the offending managing Director had admitted wrongdoing, and apologized for his behavior, and assured that she won't be retaliated against for reporting this. She claims that shortly after that incident, however, support for her from senior management declined markedly and despite the company's assurance she was never offered any job opportunity outside of the Convertible Department.
Sexual Harassment Section of Allison Schieffelin's Gender Bias complaint against Morgan Stanley.
EEOC on Handling of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
It encourages prevention by clearly communicate to employees that sexual harassment will not be tolerated. Moreover, they should take immediate and appropriate action when an employee complains. Seems like prevention policy was not in place at Morgan Stanley. And while it disciplined the offending Managing Director as it should have, it retaliated against the complaining employee, therefore making its policy ineffective by putting fear of retaliation in other similarly placed employees.
EEOC: Facts About Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Unwelcome sexual advances, when submission to or rejection of this conduct affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, is sexual harassment.
The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome. There need not be any economy injury or discharge of the victim for it to be termed harassment. Anybody affected by the offensive behavior is a victim. The harasser can be anybody including non-employees. Sex is immaterial.
EEOC link: Sexual Harassment