Drinks produced by Monster Energy might revive tired people in California, but five women who used to work for the company found their experiences to be real downers. In separate lawsuits, the former female employees accused the company of giving executives a free pass to sexually harass and abuse women on the job. One plaintiff said that the company paid men more than her and excluded her from stock options.
Two women have accused the vice president of sexual harassment. Although one of them had a consensual romantic relationship with him, her court filings recount his abusive text messages and the threat of firing her when she wanted to end their relationship. The company fired her a short time after she made a formal complaint to human resources. A statement from Monster Energy insisted that her job termination was not related to her relationship with the vice president.
Another lawsuit named a different male manager. The plaintiff said that he humiliated her in front of co-workers and made it impossible for her to do her work properly. She left the company because of the hostile treatment. In response to the lawsuits, Monster Energy management said that the women were disgruntled ex-employees and their claims had no merit.
The law provides protection for people subjected to sexual harassment such as unwanted sexual advances or lewd comments. A person concerned about mistreatment at work might consult an attorney. Legal advice may help inform the person about how to document the abuse and file a complaint. An attorney may be able to assemble evidence and prepare a lawsuit against the employer to recover damages for the victim of harassment.
