SLOW JUSTICE

Federal Workers’ Sexual Harassment Claims Languish: Report

Proper reforms in the age of #MeToo have yet to hit the nation's largest employer, according to a report.

Even in the age of #MeToo, the federal government takes years to settle some sexual harassment claims on account of "an overburdened, underfunded system that has not kept pace with other workplaces," according to The Washington Post. The report highlights two cases of sexual harassment that took the nation’s largest employer seven years to rule on. In fiscal year 2017, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission took “an average of 1,300 days—about 3½ years—to resolve a discrimination case.” In some cases, federal agencies hadn't responded to complaints filed a year earlier. Another case showed that an alleged perpetrator was promoted without punishment, the newspaper said. Federal employees only have 45 days to file a complaint and their damages are capped at $300,000, according to the Post. Retaliation within federal agencies over complaints is also a major concern.