Being accused of workplace discrimination can be a world-shattering moment, leaving you to feel like you've done something wrong and your company needs to work to recoup what it's lost.
However, it's important that you don't just roll over and hope this passes: only one percent of all employment discrimination suits are won by the employees.
These are the things that happen when a case like this is brought up and what you can do to help protect your company against future cases.
After your company receives this accusation, the first thing you should do isn't to post to social media or try to save face, it's vital that you immediately take action.
The public is used to disingenuous apologies and companies trying to repair their image before anything else, so you must do what you can to protect your workers first. Look into what the complaint stemmed from and whether or not it holds any merit.
Going to court is one of the last things you want because it could mean possibly having to deal with a very public trial that will ruin your company's reputation even if you prove the lawsuit has no grounds to stand on.
So instead, contact the employee, discuss what your company found through research, and either apologize and offer compensation or clarify that you didn't find any issues within the company. Still, you'll continue to try to keep pushing for a healthier workplace.
Trying to settle out of court is the best option for any company to avoid a smear campaign. Because of this, many will offer a large settlement to get out of being sued, hopefully. If you provide a settlement, make sure that it's a fair amount, and don't disclose it to the public if possible.
If other workers smell blood in the water, they may decide to sue as well, and you'll possibly face other discrimination cases.
If your company did nothing wrong: prove it! This may be easier said than done, but if your business has a good paper trail showing what it's done and how much it offers its employees, you should be able to show that your company is in the right.
This will allow you to review your hiring and promoting practices to avoid this problem coming up in the future. Making future changes also shows good faith in your company and an appetite to grow, which will look good to the court.
When you're hiring, firing, or promoting: you must do so with both the companies and your employees in mind. Look for workers who offer the best possible work and ensure that they're paid fairly for their time. If you can work to create a healthy and balanced workplace, you'll be far less likely to be accused of discrimination.
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