Many of our readers in Maryland might be familiar with the website TMZ, which has gained popularity for breaking celebrity news and reporting rumors and gossip. However, TMZ is now facing some unfortunate publicity of its own after a former female employee at the company filed a lawsuit citing wrongful termination, harassment and retaliation.
According to reports, the woman says that from the beginning of her employment to the end, she was mistreated and discriminated against because of her gender. All the other writers for the website were male and the woman was warned that she was entering a “boys club” after she was hired. There was also a consensus among some staff members that the company routinely favored male employees and that women were not treated equally.
During this woman’s employment, she says that she was subjected to a hostile work environment. Her supervisor would make derogatory comments toward her and would discredit or drop a story if it was written by her, according to her allegations. The mistreatment also went beyond verbal abuse in the workplace; the woman says her pay and opportunities for promotions were also negatively affected because of her gender.
When these allegations come up in the workplace, it is crucial that employers take these matters seriously and address them in an effective and lawful manner. In this case, however, the woman says that her repeated complaints were ignored until she was fired. She argues that the company retaliated against her for reporting the discrimination of which she had been a victim.
This lawsuit, and others like it, can draw a lot of unwanted attention to a company and any questionable practices that may be in place. In order to avoid this, it may be wise for employers and business owners to consult an attorney when it comes to matters of employee rights. If a company’s employment policies or decisions are found to be in violation of state or federal laws, employers could face significant financial penalties and other serious consequences.
Source: Courthouse News Service, “TMZ Called an Abusive, Sexist Boys Club,” May 12, 2014