Emily A. Kaller and Maja M. Obradovic will present the program “Equal (And Unwelcome) Opportunities for Discrimination and Harassment in the Workplace: Going Beyond #MeToo to Consider #MenToo” at the ACC New Jersey chapter’s 17th Annual All-Day CLE Conference. Margaret Ferrero, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at ADP, LLC, will also participate as a panelist for the presentation. The conference will be held on Friday, September 20, 2019 from 7:30am – 7:00pm at the Hanover Marriott in Whippany.
As accusations of sexual harassment in business, politics and the media continue to make headlines, the time has come to broaden the conversation about sexual harassment in the workplace to include both female and male victims. A CNBC survey found that 19% of U.S. adults – 27% of female and 10% of male respondents – claim to have been the target of inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. Nearly one in five – about 17% – of sexual harassment and discrimination complaints filed with the EEOC come from men, a rate that has remained relatively consistent over the past decade. The Pentagon estimates that about 20,500 service members across the military branches — 13,000 women and 7,500 men — were sexually assaulted in 2018 based on data from an anonymous survey conducted by the Department of Defense. Further, many researchers believe that that the number of individuals who actually experience harassment is significantly greater than those who formally report such harassment.
The #MeToo movement has resulted in women to coming forward in significant numbers to reveal their highly personal and painful experiences, sometimes after years or even decades. As the right to freedom from sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace applies to all employees regardless of their gender, it is anticipated than an equally bright spotlight will be focused on the male victims of sexual discrimination and harassment.
This program will explore discrimination and sexual harassment in the “Beyond #MeToo” era, with a particular focus on the somewhat unique characteristics of workplace discrimination and sexual harassment that targets men, as well as the distinct social and gender-stereotype issues many male victims must grapple with when considering whether to speak out or remain silent. The panel will also cover the significant toll that sexual harassment takes on both the victim and the employer and discuss strategies for identifying, addressing, and curtailing sexual harassment against both men and women in the workplace.
Ms. Kaller's practice focuses on commercial litigation. She has experience in the prosecution and defense of financing, credit and other banking matters, contract disputes including those arising under licensing and asset sale agreements, environmental contamination contribution actions, and complex litigation. She has also conducted and assisted with internal investigations on behalf of public and private entities in connection with a variety of matters. A committed advocate for women in the legal industry, she is a former chair of the NJSBA Women in the Profession Section and an appointed member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Women in the Courts.
Ms. Obradovic concentrates her practice in litigation, with a particular focus in employment litigation and bankruptcy reorganization matters. She co-chairs the firm's Employment Law Practice Group. Her employment litigation experience includes the defense of a variety of employment discrimination, whistleblower, wrongful discharge, and restrictive covenant claims. Her work in the area of employment counseling includes employment contract negotiations and the review and drafting of restrictive covenants, employee handbooks and employment policies. She serves on the firm’s Diversity Committee and is a member of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association.
Additional conference and registration information at: ACCNJ 17th Annual All-Day CLE Conference