Women Employed’s Response to Reports of Harassment at City Hall

As a Chicago-based organization that advocates for fair and equitable workplaces, we at Women Employed were deeply disturbed to hear of the recent harassment, discrimination, and retaliation allegations against a senior leader of the Mayor’s team. We are concerned about any workplace culture that allows harassment to thrive — especially a workplace, such as the City of Chicago, that should serve as a beacon and model for others.

A culture of silence and retaliation does not serve the employees of the City of Chicago, nor does it serve the city itself. It is critical that the Mayor’s stated commitment to a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace is backed up by and realized through action. There must be an acknowledgement of the environment that allowed this behavior to take root, and a plan to correct the culture and ensure freedom from harassment going forward.

Throughout our more than 50 years of history, Women Employed has fought to protect workers from harassment in Chicago, across Illinois, and throughout the country. Part of our work focused on education and prevention includes providing sexual harassment prevention training, for both employees and supervisors. During our trainings, we have found that people are acutely aware of the risks of coming forward, including fears of retaliation, being dismissed, and not being believed. The risks are even greater for Women of Color, who are both more likely to experience harassment in the workplace, and more vulnerable to negative impacts when they come forward.

The reality is that training, policies, and laws alone do not create safe, equitable, and respectful workplaces. It is vital that employers build workplace cultures that intentionally center equity, where harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are never tolerated and cannot thrive. Five core principles identified by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have generally proven effective in preventing and addressing harassment: committed and engaged leadership; consistent accountability; strong policies; trusted and accessible complaint procedures; and regular and tailored interactive training.

We join the City Council’s Women’s Caucus in their call for a comprehensive response and look forward to hearing from the Mayor’s Office how these principles are being implemented in the City of Chicago including what if any changes will be made in the wake of the recent allegations. We stand ready to offer our expertise and experience in supporting the Mayor’s Office and the City of Chicago.

If we are to achieve the goal of making Chicago one of the safest cities for women and families, it is critically important that the City of Chicago be champion for equity — internally and externally — and a positive role model for employers across Chicago and nationwide.