Real Time Staffing Services, which does business as Select Staffing, will pay $500,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that female contingent workers were subjected to a sexually hostile work environment at a National Raisin production site in Fowler, California. The EEOC said widespread harassment of female workers by managers and employees went unaddressed by the staffing firm.

Harassment included unwanted groping, sexually explicit comments, requests for sexual favors and retaliatory termination following complaints of harassment, according to the EEOC.

“The consent decree addresses allegations about events involving a former customer from several years ago,” Real Time Staffing Services’ parent company Employbridge said in an emailed statement to SIA. “Select Staffing takes allegations very seriously and as such, has a complaint and grievance procedure for employees, personnel working on our behalf, and outside third parties to report issues regarding the company or its personnel.  Select Staffing remains committed to providing a safe working environment and expanding professional opportunities for all of its employees. ” 

In addition to the $500,000, the settlement prohibits future discrimination and retaliation. It also requires monitoring by the EEOC, training of temporary workers on their rights, training of management and HR representatives on preventing harassment, and that the staffing firm track complaints and communicate with clients as harassment complaints arise.

National Raisin settled a related lawsuit for $2.0 million, the EEOC reported.