An Irvine-based pool supply company has agreed to pay almost $500,000 to settle sexual harassment and retaliation charges, according to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Female Hispanic employees at Aqua Tri, a company that supplies pool sanitizing chemicals and other products, charged that two supervisors repeated made sexual advances that included inappropriate touching and pressure for dates and sex. The supervisors, both Hispanic men, also dangled promotions in exchange for sex.
Several of the women complained to upper management, but the complaints were not followed up, according to the statement by the federal agency. Instead, one was demoted and forced to resign, and another was denied overtime work and forced to do demeaning work outside of her job description.Also, several male employees were fired in retaliation for what was perceived as support for the women.
Aqua Tri agreed to settle the charges by paying the women $462,500. The company will also establish better training for supervisors and a working process for dealing with complaints of this nature, including a Spanish-speaking human resources specialist.
--Jack Katzanek
jkatzanek@PE.com