Several Costco workers representing two different stores filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against their employer in recent months. Many of the female plaintiffs accuse their male managers of repeated harassment over a prolonged time. The women who filed the suit were employed at the Monmouth and Middlesex county Costco stores where the alleged harassment occurred.
The court filings in one case shed some light on the ill-treatment that one of the workers alleges she was forced to endure.
One manager reportedly called the front-end supervisor the “whore of Costco” on one occasion. Her Hazlet manager repeatedly made comments about their breasts and referred to her as “cute” as well. Another manager told the plaintiff that she didn’t need to learn to operate a forklift because she is female.
Another employee at that same store also claims that she was repeatedly sent nude Snapchat messages by her boss after breaking off a brief romantic relationship with him.
In another instance at a Monmouth county store, another female employee reported having her breasts and buttocks stared at by her boss. The worker also alleges that her manager referred to her in Spanish as “my love,” repeatedly trailed her around the store during breaks and constantly asked for her cellphone number.
The female workers in all instances reported their ill-treatment to management. They reportedly weren’t very proactive in doing anything in response to it though.
In one instance, a manager was suspended from work for a week. The plaintiff in another case never received follow-up about any disciplinary action that was going to be taken against her manager. In one instance, one of the workers was transferred to another store.
The plaintiffs all allege that they were subjected to retaliatory treatment for reporting their harassment.
Employers are supposed to take reports of sexual harassment seriously. They should be proactive in investigating all claims and take swift disciplinary action if they can prove that the accusations are true.
If you’ve been treated poorly in the workplace and your employer hasn’t been proactive in addressing your concerns, then you should have an attorney here in Burlington review your case. They can advise you on how to proceed with your legal matter.
