The #MeToo movement, founded by long-time activist and organizer Tarana Burke, went viral nearly five years ago and prompted conversations about, among other things, ways individuals face harassment and trauma in the workplace.
The movement increased focus on the systemic harassment issues within organizations, as well as on the alleged harassers themselves. The movement has since shifted our social norms and resulted in concrete changes in laws and policies that continue to directly affect the places in which Americans work.
Here are four noteworthy areas for HR professionals and their advisers to consider as we reflect on this milestone:
An uptick in claims may have been stymied by the pandemic
Unsurprisingly, in the wake of the movement's momentum, the number of charges filed with the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) increased significantly. While there were 6,696 claims of this nature in 2017, the number increased to more than 7,500 in both 2018 and 2019.
While this trend did not continue the following year, it would be difficult to opine that this slowdown was a result of the movement losing steam. In part, the reduction in claims could be attributed to increased employer training, prompted in part by several states strengthening their sexual harassment training requirements as discussed below.
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