Not all sexual harassment claims are alike. But managers still need to take them seriously, even if they don’t fit the expected pattern.

That’s what one construction firm learned recently after settling a sexual harassment suit brought by a male employee.

The employee claimed his male supervisor subject him to a constant barrage of obscene comments, sexual innuendos, propositions and implied physical threats.

When he brought the conduct to attention of upper management, he was allegedly told, “This is a construction site; this kind of thing goes on all the time.”

With help from the EEOC, the employee sued. The company agreed to settle for an undisclosed amount.

The lesson: Managers need to take all harassment complaints seriously, no matter what the genders of the accuser and the accused.

Cite: EEOC v. Haydon Brothers Contracting, Inc.

Tags: eeoc, harassment complaints