Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Case Study Example

If there is a case, it will be investigated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the case will be filed by the EEOC in the District Court if it finds the bank guilty. However, as Mrs. Jones has not contacted the EEO within 45 days of the occurrence of the harassment, the case will not be sustained. In addition, if she wants to file a complaint, it has to take place within 180 days as the time gap between the harassment and her filing the complaint to matters. In all eventualities, her resignation will stand against her claim. In addition, she failed to follow the required legal steps.

It is not necessary for the bank to take initiative to meet Mrs. Jones as having an informal meeting will not give the bank any legal advantage. In addition, there is no benefit in approaching the new command of J. P. Jones. Instead, it can send notices to Mrs. Jones stating the fact that it is a felony to claim unemployment after resigning voluntarily. As DelPo (n.d.) points out, in case of legal procedures, these notices will save the bank’s side; and it should provide adequate information to the Unemployment Office to prove that she had resigned voluntarily.

If she complains against the bank, the issue will come up before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as the case involves harassment based on sex. In order to keep their side safe, what the bank has to do is to send a notice to the Mississippi Unemployment Office detailing the reason behind her resignation according to the resignation letter she has submitted. In addition, it is for the HR of the bank to report the issue to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at the earliest. This will save the bank’s side in case of future legal proceedings.

Admittedly, it is a tough task to handle people like Mrs. Jones as they drag the entire firm into legal disputes and defame them once they join the firm. So, it is necessary to identify the trouble-makers in the initial interview itself. According to Arthur (2006), the probable interview questions may include questions like if the candidate had any legal proceedings in the past and for what purpose, the number of employers the candidate has worked for in the past and for what duration, the reasons for giving up each of those jobs, and finally, the candidate’s present relationship with those previous employers. Answers to these questions will generally help identify the attitude of the candidate towards employers in general (pp. 120-122). Again, questions can be asked about the expectations of the candidate from the employer, and about how the candidate would have responded if there had been a conflict with any of the previous employers.

Evidently, going through the reference provided by a candidate reveals a lot about the candidate. A 1998 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that a considerable proportion of employees tend to provide incorrect information in their references on the belief that the employers will not take the painful task of verifying them (Survey reveals applicants stray from the truth). So, going through the reference and contacting the employers for whom the candidate worked provides a lot of information about the nature of the candidate. If it is found that the candidate tends to avoid the names of important people in the previously employed firms, it can be concluded that the person has some problems in contacting them, and hence, a matter of concern.

Admittedly, the turmoil created by Mrs. Jones has led to a fall in morale in the bank. So, it is for HR to see that the morale improves. For that purpose, HR can hold meetings of employees and explain the matter. In addition, it can inform the employees that the issue has been reported by the bank to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and that due legal procedures are undertaken in the matter. As Moffitt and Bordone (2005) advise, HR should inform the employees about the harassment prevention policies the bank has in place and the fact that simply following the policies will ensure that no one is discriminated against; also, the employees should be encouraged to approach the HR if they find any issues of harassment in the firm (pp. 5-8).

If there is a job reference from another bank, it is necessary to keep a copy of the same and inform the new employer that her matter has been under consideration by EEOC for claims of sexual harassment. If these steps are taken, there is no likelihood of Mrs. Jones initiating legal proceedings against the firm. Firstly, she becomes aware of the fact that in case of failure in her legal action, she is going to get punished for claiming unemployment. So, it seems that a mere warning in the form of notice from HR will stop her from further legal actions. Read More