Richmond Judge Reminds Employers that Non-Employee May Create Harassment Liability

A Richmond Circuit Court recently held that an employee had a valid claim against her employer for hostile work environment harassment, based on the unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate sexual comments of a vendor. Recognition of such a claim in Poe v. Old River Cabinets, Inc. emphasizes the need for employers to police workplace harassment in their work environments even when the offending party is not one of their employees. So, vendors or customers who engage in inappropriate conduct or use inappropriate language may need to be counseled to stop. —Labor & Employment Practice Group