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11 Examples of Workplace Misconduct in the News in October 2023

While there are plenty of things to be scared of this Halloween, nothing is scarier than finding out your company is being sued for or are featured in an article because of workplace misconduct. 

Unfortunately, companies like Citi, CS Disco, McKinsey, Disney, Chipotle, and more all had to deal with the repercussions of misconduct just like this. In this article, see just 11 examples of misconduct incidents that made the news this month across several industries: 

Business and Professional Services

  1. Citi Fires Personal Banker Over Antisemitic Social Media Post (Bloomberg)
  2. CEO’s Abrupt Exit Followed Complaint of Alleged Groping, Other Accounts of Misconduct: CS Disco employees say they had previously complained to company about Kiwi Camara’s behavior with female employees (WSJ)
  3. John Oliver on management consulting firms: ‘They shouldn’t get to be invisible:’ The Last Week Tonight host investigates the track record of one of the largest and most influential firms, McKinsey & Company supporting and promoting misconduct. (Guardian)

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“Oliver focused on McKinsey’s shadowy client list with Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, which paid McKinsey about $84m in fees to ‘turbocharge’ sales of opioids.”

“McKinsey also advises public entities, such as New York City, which paid the company $27.5 million to help reduce violence at Rikers Island. Advice provided by the consultants included the expanded use of Tasers, shotguns and aggressive dogs. ‘It’s some really outside-the-box thinking for people who are literally trapped inside boxes,’ Oliver deadpanned.”

“McKinsey claimed that it reduced violence by 50% in certain “Restart” facilities, though the company allegedly colluded with jail officials to stack the Restart units with inmates the company believed would not start fights or attack prison staff. McKinsey still denies rigging the experiment, but ProPublica found that violence rose 50% at Rikers overall after the company began its assignment. ‘You’ve got to hand it to McKinsey there. Not many firms could get paid $27 million of taxpayer money to leave Rikers somehow even worse,’ Oliver joked.”

  1. Disputes, Employee Misconduct Rattle Centerview’s Silicon Valley Dreams (The Information) 

Sports, Media, and Entertainment

  1. Cardinals employees accuse team owner Michael Bidwill of creating toxic culture of 'fear,' per report (Yahoo!Sports)
  2. Disney’s Live-Action ‘Snow White’ Delays to 2025, Jonathan Majors’ ‘Magazine Dreams’ Pulled Off Calendar (Variety)

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“Walt Disney Studios has removed ‘Magazine Dreams,’ a dark drama starring Jonathan Majors, off of the release calendar. The film, which Disney’s subsidiary Searchlight Pictures purchased out of Sundance, was slated to premiere on Dec. 8. However, Majors has become embroiled in legal issues involving assault and aggravated harassment allegations stemming from a domestic dispute with his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.”

  1. Sexual Harassment in Hollywood Remains Pervasive, Says #MeToo-Era Survey: Polling from WIF reveals culture around employee abuse and harassment has improved on the sixth anniversary, but the industry has a ways to go to clean up its act. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Education 

  1. The predators’ playground: Unraveling 40 years of sexual misconduct at a single California high school (Insider)
  2. Michigan Rescinded Contract Offer to Jim Harbaugh After Sign-Stealing Allegations: A deal was on the table to make the 59-year-old the Big Ten’s highest paid coach until allegations of wrongdoing in the football program scuttled talks (WSJ)

Retail and Hospitality 

  1. Abercrombie & Fitch, ex-CEO sued over sex abuse and trafficking accusations: Former Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries was accused of allegedly running a sex trafficking ring (NBC Philadelphia)
  2. Federal agency sues Chipotle for alleged religious harassment, retaliation against Muslim worker: A manager grabbed and forcibly removed part of the worker's hijab (Fox Business)

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As if this isn’t spooky enough, the EEOC recently warned of Long-Awaited Guidance on Harassment in the Modern Workplace. They will now be cracking down on employers who aren’t doing enough to combat “harassment occurring online, even if only over employees’ private social media accounts.” 

For more information on combating misconduct at work, take our Industry Benchmarking Quiz to assess your risk factors and visit Fama.io today.