Contact:
Nicole St. Germain, Outreach Coordinator
(213) 894-1045/ (213) 810-0980
Anna Y. Park, Regional Attorney
(213) 894-1083
Melissa Barrios
(559) 487-5940
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2018
ALORICA SETTLES EEOC SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUIT FOR $3.5 MILLION
Male and Female Employees were Subjected to
Harassment, Says Federal Agency
LOS ANGELES / FRESNO -- The U.S.
District Court approved a consent decree between Alorica, Inc. and the United
States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for $3.5 million and
remedial measures to resolve a sexual harassment lawsuit, the federal agency
announced today.
According to the EEOC, male and
female customer service employees were subjected to harassment, including a
sexually hostile work environment, by managers and coworkers. The EEOC further
alleged that the onsite human resources staff failed to properly address the
harassment despite repeated complaints by employees, which the EEOC contends
violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The EEOC filed suit in the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District of California (U.S. EEOC v.
Alorica, Inc., Case No.: 1:17-cv-1270-LJO-MJS) and reached an early
settlement of the lawsuit. The court approved the consent decree that resolves
the case, which remains under the court’s jurisdiction during the term of the
decree.
The $3.5 million will be
distributed among a class of victims of sexual harassment from the Fresno and
Clovis, Calif. facilities, pursuant to a claims process set forth in the
decree. In addition to the monetary relief, Alorica agreed to significant injunctive
relief in the form of a three-year consent decree, which includes the hiring of
a third-party monitor; the creation of an internal equal employment opportunity
consultant and internal compliance officer; and, sexual harassment training,
including incorporating civility and bystander intervention training, for its
employees. The company also agreed to revise its anti-discrimination and
retaliation policies and procedures as well as maintain records of any future
sexual harassment and retaliation complaints, audits, and reporting.
“While no one should have to
experience harassment on the job, I commend the women and men who bravely came
forward in this case and brought their experience of harassment to the EEOC,”
said EEOC Acting Chair Victoria A. Lipnic. “I also commend our enforcement and
legal teams, and the parties involved, for coming to a resolution that both
provides relief to these women and men, and makes positive changes to the
company’s workplace practices.”
“Sexual harassment continues to
be a pressing issue in our region and we urge employers to take more proactive
measures to prevent such misconduct,” said Anna Park, regional attorney
for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, which includes Fresno County in its
jurisdiction. “We commend Alorica for working with the EEOC to create and
implement measures that will prevent future abuses.”
Rosa Viramontes, district director
of the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, added, “Combatting systemic harassment is a
top priority of the Commission. Employees
have the right to file complaints against employers that fail to protect them
from sexual harassment, without the fear of retaliation.”
According to Alorica’s website, www.alorica.com,
the company provides customer management solutions in the form of third party
call center and technology services. Alorica is based out of Irvine, Calif.,
employing 100,000 workers across 16 countries, in 140 locations.
Individuals who believe they were
subjected to sexual harassment while working for Alorica at the Fresno and
Clovis, Calif. facilities between August 2014 to the present, can contact the
EEOC at 1-855-725-4456.
Preventing workplace harassment
through systemic litigation and investigation is one of the six national
priorities identified by the Commission’s Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP).
EEOC is the federal government
agency responsible for enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws in the
workplace. Further information about EEOC is available on the agency’s
website at www.eeoc.gov.
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