Spare the Rod, Spoil the Employer: Punitive Damages and Workplace Investigations

8.28.2018

How much could an employer be punished for a bad investigation of workplace discrimination or harassment?  Could punitive damages be at stake?

Although punitive damages under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination are only awarded by juries in rare circumstances, it is possible that they could be awarded because of a bad investigation.  However, a plaintiff employee must prove more than that the investigation was negligent, a plaintiff employee must show that the defendant’s “upper management” actually participated in or was “willfully indifferent” to discrimination or harassment against the plaintiff employee, as evidenced by the manner in which the investigation was conducted.  In addition, for punitive damages, a plaintiff employee must show that the defendant’s conduct toward the employee was “egregious.”

What would such an investigation look like?  It would be a sham, meant only to relieve the employer of any liability for the alleged discrimination or harassment.   In other words, it would be conducted with the intent of getting the employer off the hook and not finding out whether the plaintiff employee’s allegations were true.   The plaintiff employee would have to show that “upper management” participated in ensuring a bogus investigation was conducted. For example, in a Massachusetts case where punitive damages were awarded, the supervisor doubted the employee’s sexual harassment complaint against her supervisor.  The employer did not interview all relevant personnel and did not involve the complaining employee.  At trial, the employee put former co-workers on the witness stand who testified as to the sexual harassment, belying the employer’s position that he conducted an adequate investigation.

New Jersey employers should note that it is against public policy in the State to insure an employer against punitive damages because they are intended to address a defendant’s bad behavior.   Thus, employment practices liability policies do not cover punitive damages.  Punitive damages awarded by a jury must simply be paid by the employer. 

The best practice for an employer is to perform a thorough investigation as to any workplace harassment or discrimination claims and make sure to interview all potentially relevant witnesses.  It is also prudent to have upper management uninvolved in investigations involving discrimination or harassment.  Moreover, an employer should neither pressure an investigator to make a certain determination, nor give the impression that the employer wants the investigator to make a certain determination.   Otherwise, punitive damages may be a possibility, should a jury find that the employer swayed an investigation.

TAKEAWAY:  It is important for employers to ensure a comprehensive and defensible investigation is established in the event of claimed workplace harassment or discrimination, and employers must remain as neutral as possible when retaining an investigator, or having its human resources personnel conduct an investigation.

Tags: InvestigationsDiscrimination in the WorkplaceWorkplace HarassmentPersonal LiabilityNew Jersey Law Against Discrimination

BLOG DISCLAIMER

The postings on this blog were created for general informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice or a solicitation to provide legal services.  Although we attempt to ensure that the postings are complete, accurate, and current as of the time of publication, we assume no responsibility for their completeness, accuracy, or timeliness.  The information in this blog is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, a lawyer-client relationship.  Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional legal counsel.

This blog may contain links to independent third party websites and services, including social media. We provide these links for your convenience, and you access them at your own risk.  We have no control over and do not monitor the content or policies (including privacy policies) of these third-party websites and have no responsibility for, and no liability with respect to, their content, accuracy, or reliability.  Unless expressly stated, we do not endorse any of the linked websites or any product, service, or publication referenced herein or therein.  We will remove a link to any site from this blog upon request of the linked entity.

We grant permission to readers to link to this blog so long as this blog is not misrepresented. This site is not sponsored or associated with any other site unless so identified.

If you wish for Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., to consider representing you, please obtain contact information from the Contact Us area of this blog or go to the firm’s website at www.wilentz.com.  One of our lawyers will be happy to discuss the possibility of representation with you. However, the authors of Wilentz blogs are licensed only in New Jersey and/or New York and do not wish to represent anyone who viewed this site in a state where the site fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that state.

Sign Up