Transitioning Times

            When it comes to sexual harassment and assault, taking a few steps backward in regards to protections is never a good thing. April was sexual assault awareness month (SAAM), where we highlight the problem of sexual assault a little more heavily than usual. Much advancement has been made over the years in combatting sexual assault; however, the fight is far from over. On March 27 th , just a few days before he would make a declaration that April would be SAAM, President Donald Trump signed an executive order overturning the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Act, signed by President Barak Obama in 2014. Among other protections, this act would require companies who have federal contracts to be open about what they’re paying their employees and not allow them to keep sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination allegations or cases in private. This is called an arbitration clause, which companies put in employees’ contracts “to keep sex discri...

  Last week, The New York Times published an article about a landmark settlement for domestic violence victims in New York regarding employment discrimination.   A woman was sent home from work after disclosing that her estranged husband threatened to kill her.   The store should have continued with their initial response, which was to work with the woman to create a safety plan, including allowing her to use her cell phone while on the job, have access to a secure room, and park closer to the building.   Instead, the manager told the woman she needed to get a protective order.   Protective orders can be great tools to help someone feel safe.   They are an integral part of many people’s safety plans.   However, they are not for everyone.   Many people’s response when they hear “domestic violence” is to tell the person to get a protective order, commonly known in Pennsylvania as a PFA.   This is not the right thing for everyone and...