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Charges of Gender Discrimination Climb; Co-Worker Dating Policies, Diversity Programs Gain Favor

Findings from the 2004 Jackson Lewis Workplace Survey reveal changing trends and attitudes among employers across industries and across the nation. Among the most notable changes in workplace trends and attitudes reported by the survey respondents in 2004 are the following:

• Gender discrimination charges spike in 2004. In the 2004 survey, when participants were asked, "Was your company sued by an employee for any reason during the past year," 58% of the respondents who answered "yes" cited gender discrimination as the basis for a charge. In the 2003 survey, the comparable number was 48%, indicating a 10% increase in gender discrimination charges among those who had been sued.
• Co-worker dating policies gained popularity. In 2004, 20% of the respondents said they have a policy regulating co-worker dating at their company, an increase of 7% from the 2002 survey.
• More companies launched diversity programs. Diversity programs have increased dramatically over the past five years. In 2004, more than half the companies polled (55%) said they have a diversity program. This is a significant increase from 2000 when only 33% of companies participating in a similar survey indicated they had established such a program.
• Complaints of sexual harassment increased slightly. In 2004, 63% of the survey respondents said they handled a complaint of sexual harassment at their company. This is a 6% increase from 2003 when 57% of those polled reported complaints. However, the 2004 finding pales in comparison to 1995, when 95% of participants in a similar survey said they dealt with a sexual harassment issue.
• Race discrimination charges abated during the past 12 months. In 2004, less than half of those sued (49%) cited race discrimination as the charge. This is a decrease from 2003 when 54% named race as the most common charge.
• The number of workplace lawsuits remained relatively stable. In 2004, 57% of those polled said they were sued by an employee during the past 12 months, the same number as the previous year. This is a slight decrease from 1995, when 62% answering a similar survey said they were sued by an employee.
• The economic downturn is taking its toll. When asked to identify the most critical workplace issue facing the nation, the majority - 61% - named job security.

For more information about the survey, please contact Margaret R. Bryant, Esq.