Being a new dad myself, the following headline from the National Law Journal caught my eye: More Men Filing Workplace Lawsuits - Lawyers are calling this a byproduct of the father's rights movement.
According to the article, more men than ever before are filing employment claims. The EEOC saw a record number of sexual harassment complaints filed by men in 2007, and more men are filing FMLA claims based on family responsibilities.
As more and more men assert their right to strike a balance between their jobs and their families, what steps can companies take to avoid claims being brought by disgruntled men?
- Incorporate harassment against men into general harassment policies and training.
- Ensure that all leave policies are gender-neutral.
- Discipline anyone who makes derogatory comments about an employee's paternity leave.
- Foster a work environment in which no one, male or female, is discouraged or scared from taking time off.
- Reward actual performance, and not merely hours spent working.
Adopting some these measures in your workplace can help avoid the following, which is believed to be the largest verdict ever entered in favor of a man in a caregiver discrimination lawsuit: