New York Attorney General Letitia James has reached a settlement with Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Ed) following an investigation into allegations of workplace discrimination and harassment. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Con Ed allowed a hostile work environment for women and employees of color, failing to address issues of race- and sex-based harassment.
Attorney General James stated, "When New Yorkers go to work, they deserve to trust that they will not encounter discrimination, harassment, or hostility." She emphasized that Con Ed's failure to protect its workers was unacceptable and vowed to hold companies accountable for such inaction.
The OAG investigation began in 2021 after receiving complaints about Con Ed's workplace culture. It revealed widespread harassment against women in field positions who faced verbal abuse, exclusionary comments, and inappropriate remarks about their appearance. Women were also criticized for taking bathroom breaks and denied opportunities for career advancement compared to their male counterparts.
In addition to gender-based issues, racial harassment was reported. A supervisor allegedly engaged in blackface and used racial slurs without facing immediate consequences from the company.
Despite having an anti-discrimination policy on paper, the investigation found that Con Ed's Office of Diversity and Inclusion failed to uphold these policies effectively. Women were often dissuaded from reporting incidents due to fear of retaliation or disbelief by investigators.
The settlement requires Con Ed to implement several reforms including hiring an independent consultant to oversee compliance with equal employment opportunity policies. The company must also establish new training programs for harassment investigators and create avenues for employees to propose improvements in the workplace.
Con Ed is required to report back on these reforms every six months over the next three years and allocate at least $200,000 towards implementing these changes. Additionally, $750,000 has been secured as restitution for 17 impacted employees who experienced severe discrimination or retaliation.
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