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EEOC says Staff Management | SMX account manager sexually harassed workers at client site

February 02, 2018

A male account manager for Staff Management | SMX sexually harassed women at a Procter & Gamble manufacturing plant in Kansas City, Kan., where workers box soap, according to allegations reported today by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The agency announced it filed a lawsuit against Staff Management | SMX, a division of TrueBlue Inc. (NYSE: TBI).

One female employee, Jaurdai Walker, reported the manager repeatedly called her “baby,” and told her she was “sexy,” according to the EEOC. The manager then allegedly asked her for oral sex in exchange for paid time off.

When Walker refused and reported the harassment to another supervisor, she was told to “screw him” and take the extra pay, according to the EEOC.

The harassment continued, and the manager exposed his genitals to Walker at one point, according to the lawsuit. Walker then reported the conduct to another supervisor, and Staff Management | SMX conducted an investigation, according to the EEOC. But the company allowed the manager to return to work.

The manager later threatened Walker and demanded to know why she reported his misconduct, according to the EEOC. Other male employees also intimidated Walker because she reported the harassment. Walker was so traumatized by these actions and the company’s failure to protect her that she was forced to quit her job, according to the agency.

“As the #MeToo movement has made all too clear, sexual harassment in the workplace is not limited to one industry, certain types of workers, by geographic area,” said Andrea Baran, regional attorney for the EEOC’s St. Louis District. “But there is one thing every case of sexual harassment has in common — that it can only be stopped when victims and bystanders speak up and break the silence.”

“Employers — including staffing firms — are responsible for ensuring their workplaces are free from any type of sexual harassment. Companies that tolerate sexual harassment — or fail to adequately punish harassers — do so with blatant disregard for the law,” said James Neely Jr., director for the EEOC’s St. Louis District said.

TrueBlue Spokesperson Stacey Burke said that the company does not comment on ongoing litigation. However, she said “We take this claim very seriously. TrueBlue is committed to ensuring our employees have a safe and harassment-free workplace and work closely with our clients to make sure all HR policies are followed correctly.”