LI Construction Firm Pays $1.5M In Sexual Harassment Settlement

LYNBROOK, NY — New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that her office secured a $1.5 million settlement for 18 former employees of a Long Island construction firm who were the victims of sexual harassment and workplace retaliation. They suffered physical and verbal harassment, demands of sexual acts for pay, and more.

An investigation into Trade Off, LLC, a Lynbrook-based company, revealed a pattern of severe sexual harassment against female employees that went on for years, James said, as well as retaliation against many of them when they complained about the harassment. This case is the attorney general's first agreement involving sexual harassment in the construction industry.

“All employees deserve to work in an environment where they are valued and respected and not subjected to harassment,” James said. “Today’s agreement will end Trade Off’s deplorable and unlawful treatment of its female employees and provide affirmative relief to the brave women who came forward. My office remains committed to seeking justice on behalf of workers and mandating accountability on the part of employers. Sexual harassment will never be tolerated, not in construction and not in any other industry.”

According to James, Trade Off, a company that provides non-union, general labor at construction sites, engaged in severe sexual harassment and retaliation against workers who were primarily women of color. Interviews conducted with witnesses and reviews of documents revealed that at least 16 women were harassed because of Trade Off’s failure to prevent or adequately respond to sexual harassment at its worksites. Additionally, at least 12 workers were fired after they complained of harassment against themselves or their coworkers.

Female employees reported quid pro quo harassment by managers demanding sexual acts for pay and overtime opportunities, physical and verbal harassment by male employees, and instances of managers and other workers sending explicit photos and videos. Additionally, Trade Off managers failed to take adequate action in response to complaints, and repeatedly protected harassers from punishment.

In addition to the monetary compensation, as part of the agreement, Trade Off agreed to employ an outside monitor for three years, and will create a new, more complete sexual harassment policy subject to review by attorney general's office, and report regularly to Office of the Attorney General regarding its implementation of policies and investigation of any future sexual harassment complaints.

“What I and other former employees of Trade Off went through speaks to the often sexist and abusive nature of the construction business,” said Tierra Williams, a former employee of Trade Off. “No industry should promote behavior that serves to demean women. I'm hopeful that this settlement puts every company like Trade Off on notice, and inspires women in the workplace to stand up against injustice. Thank you to Attorney General Letitia James for taking on this issue."