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Q&A
Increase in sexual harassment complaints and its implications
0:53:28
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128 sec
Council Member Farah N. Louis addresses the increase in sexual harassment complaints in city agencies, as reported in fiscal year 2023. She inquires about any studies conducted to determine the reason for this drastic rise.
- Silvia Montalban from DCAS attributes the increase to greater awareness of rights, responsibilities, and reporting resources
- The rise in complaints is viewed positively, indicating successful outreach and education efforts
- Emphasis on various initiatives to inform employees about their rights and the complaint process, including Local Law 101, EEO policy, and transparency in the investigative process
Farah N. Louis
0:53:28
This question is on sexual harassment.
0:53:30
Feeling safe from harassment at work is an important aspect of workforce retention.
0:53:35
Local law 97 of 2028 requires DCAS to submit a comprehensive report on sexual harassment complaint filed at every city agency.
0:53:43
In fiscal year twenty twenty three, this report shows an increase in complaints with three eighty complaints filed up to two forty seven in the previous report.
0:53:54
Was a study ever conducted to determine why the number of complaints rose drastically?
Silvia Montalban
0:54:03
Pardon me.
0:54:04
So in in our report for local law 97, we do attribute the change in number of complaints mainly to actually the success that people are more aware of their rights, responsibilities, and the resources to report.
0:54:21
So always recognizing that the number of complaints are actually what's actually reported, not necessarily what has already what would have been investigated with a particular outcome.
0:54:34
So those numbers are taken more as the signifying or as evidence of the awareness there is to report and come forward and feel safe that you are protected against retaliation.
0:54:45
So we view that as a positive thing.
0:54:48
That our outreach efforts, training efforts, our educational efforts through other things built into Local Law 101, which is a climate survey, right?
0:54:57
It educates people about where they could go, gauging their awareness of what they can do, where they can go.
0:55:05
The fact that we put out materials in the EEO policy, EEO handbook, that we have a plethora of information available on our website.
0:55:14
We encourage agencies to post this information, post transparency of the investigative process for EEO complaints.
0:55:21
That's one graphic.
0:55:22
Every agency has been told for years to post that.
0:55:25
And so we think that if there is an increase in the number of reported complaints, it is a positive thing because that way they can be addressed.
0:55:35
Thank you.