A woman who used to work at a Florida bar has been awarded $80,000 in a sexual harassment case. The plaintiff, who was a bartender at Christini’s Ristorante Italiano in Orlando, claims that she was told to look date-ready and sexy while performing job duties. The woman alleges that she was terminated after expressing concerns about her treatment to management. She was terminated in March 2017 after starting work for the company in August 2015.
A lawsuit was filed in September 2018 prior to a settlement being reached with the company. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has also required the company to take steps to ensure that sexual harassment doesn’t occur to others who work there. This includes creating a written anti-harassment policy as well as submitting reports to the EEOC. Finally, the company was tasked with writing the plaintiff a positive job recommendation.
An attorney for Christini’s said that the settlement was meant to avoid the cost of taking the matter further. It was not meant to be a signal that the company accepted the allegations against it. In fact, the attorney said that the restaurant believed that it had a strong defense against the claims. The restaurant has denied that it tolerates sexual harassment in any form.
Someone who has faced harassment while on the job might be able to take legal action against their employer. Ultimately, this could involve making a complaint with the EEOC or taking a company to trial. It is possible that a business will settle a legal matter, which may help the victim gain closure in a timely and favorable manner. An attorney may help a workplace harassment victim obtain such an outcome.
