HHS Environmental to Pay $400,000 in EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Settlement Resolves Federal Suit Charging Female Employees Were Sexually Harassed And Subjected to Retaliation at Work

SALT LAKE CITY – HHS Environmental, LLC, a company providing janitorial and other services to hospitals nationwide, will pay $400,000 and provide other equitable relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today.

According to the lawsuit, a group of female housekeepers were repeatedly subjected to sexual harassment by a male employee, who made inappropriate sexual comments and frequently attempted to inappropriately kiss, touch and grab the female employees without their permission. Despite the employees’ multiple and persistent reports of harassment, the EEOC said, the company took no action for over a year to curb the harassment, and it retaliated against the female employees by firing two of them after they reported the sexual harassment. HHS also retaliated against another female victim by doubling her workload until she eventually resigned due to the untenable working conditions.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits sexual harassment. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. HHS Environmental, LLC, Case No. 2:24-cv-00721-TS-CMR) in U.S. District Court for the District of Utah after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

In addition to the monetary relief, the three-year consent decree settling the suit requires HHS to review and revise its harassment policies; offer to reinstate certain female employees; provide letters of apology to the female employees; train all employees and managers on sexual harassment and Title VII; and provide reports of training, complaints and policy modifications to the EEOC.

“Employers have an obligation to protect their employees from sexual harassment occurring on their watch,” said Mary O’Neill, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office. “When employees complain about harassment, the employer needs to take prompt, swift and adequate measures to investigate, address and stop the sexual harassment. We are pleased HHS decided to work cooperatively with the EEOC early in this litigation to resolve the case, and we will keep enforcing federal laws against sexual harassment.”

EEOC’s Phoenix District Director Melinda Caraballo said, “Sexual harassment remains a prevalent problem in today’s workplace, especially for workers like housekeepers, who may work in isolated environments. Employers commit a second violation of Title VII when they retaliate against employees who complain about the sexual harassment. Unfortunately, over 50% of the charges the EEOC receives allege a retaliation complaint.”

The EEOC’s Phoenix District Office has jurisdiction for Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and part of New Mexico.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.