MeToo in the Workplace Research Paper

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#MeToo in the Workplace

With the downfall of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and the fall from grace of several other prominent persons in media and entertainment, business and government— from Charlie Rose to to Matt Lauer to Rep. Patrick Meehan to Les Moonves to Kevin Spacey—a veritable slew of names and stories has appeared, propelling the #MeToo Movement into existence (Glamour). However, some have questioned whether the #MeToo Movement has run into a wall and lost steam just when it looked like it might usher in real change on the heels of so much awareness being raised (Tchen). The question this paper asks is: Has the #MeToo movement changed the way corporations address sexual harassment in the workplace? The answer is that, yes, in some ways it has changed the way corporations address sexual harassment in the workplace—at least in high-profile cases wherein companies want to distance themselves from any possible blowback from negative press. On the other hand, the changes are miniscule and have not really led to the creation of a culture of equality and respect but rather a culture of paranoia and suspicion. Moreover, the higher profile the accused has, the more likely he is still to receive substantial monetary compensation for agreeing to leave the company or step down.

As Sarah Ralph notes, the #MeToo movement has certainly resulted in a renewed discussion about sexual harassment in the workplace—but beyond the bounds of discussion, there has been little in the way of action with regards to policy or a new direction in how corporations address sexual harassment. It is only when the public catches wind of an accusation that corporations are quick to take action against the accused, as in the case of Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick, who was removed from his hosting duties pending an investigation into claims made that he had sexually assaulted a woman (Littleton and Otterson). At Google, the case of Andy Rubin has been a particular thorn in the side of the #MeToo movement, indicated that the more things change, the more they stay the same: “A $90 million payout was given to Andy Rubin, the star creator of the Android mobile software, after he was asked to resign when credible harassment allegations surfaced” (Elsesser). Employees at Google were outraged at the pay package given to Rubin as compensation for his severance. Rubin was accused of sexual misconduct and of using his office and position of power at Google to coerce a female employee into having sex with him.

Other high ranking leaders at Google were reported for abusing their positions in pursuit of sexual favors, too. Richard DeVaul asked an applicant to remove her shirt while at Burning Man. David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer, did not face any repercussions for having a sexual relationship with a Google employee in his department. When the company learned of the relationship, she was transferred to sales and he was promoted. The inequality in the way the company handled the issue was disconcerting for many Google employees, which is why many of them decided to take part in a walkout to show their frustration with the way the corporation was addressing sexual harassment in the era of #MeToo (Elsesser).

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These are, however, isolated instances having to do with high-profile cases, which seem to be exceptions to the rule in the majority of cases. Google CEO for instance noted that “over the past two years, we have terminated 48 people, including 13 senior managers and above for sexual harassment. None of these people received an exit package. And to clarify: in that time, we have also not provided any exit packages to executives who departed voluntarily…

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…Everyone sees what is happening with the #MeToo movement and they support the movement—but aside from obtaining a voice, change has not really been effected in the corporate cultures. The only time corporations indicate that they are taking a stand is when the press gets involved, and even then the top level executives make out like bandits.

Understanding how corporations can more adequately and appropriately address sexual harassment is something that now needs to take place. The voices have been heard, and now is the time for action. This is not going to be an easy process: corporate cultures take years to develop and sudden changes can and often do meet with resistance. It requires leadership from within in order to develop a culture that lasts. To do this, the needs of stakeholders have to be identified and the goals of the organization made clear to all. Aligning the organizational values with the objectives of the change must then take place so that all workers at all levels of the company understand what is at stake. Should anyone violate the policy on sexual harassment, they will have to face the repercussions without the ability to hide behind their position or status. That is the main problem that still needs to be addressed—and it will take time.

In conclusion, the #MeToo movement has changed the way corporations address sexual harassment in the workplace—but only primarily for lower-level employees for whom there is typically now a zero tolerance policy in place. However, for higher level officers and executives—many of whom have been called out during #MeToo—the rules are a little different, and this fact aggravates the situation and frustrates those supporters of #MeToo who want to make a difference. Change has occurred but only in small ways. The big changes still remain to be seen: they are the changes that….....

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