\nThe Los Angeles-based fashion retailer American Apparel is no stranger to
\nbeing featured in the media spotlight due to its inter-office romances and
\nemployee slip-ups, especially after news broke that its former CEO and
\nco-founder Dov Charney was sued and accused of alleged misconduct and
\nsexual harassment by a number of employees. However it seems as if the
\nretailer is keen to turn over a new leaf following Charney official dismissal
\nand a new code of business and ethics has been published on the retailer’s
\nwebsite which limits future office romances.<\/p>\n
\nAmerican Apparel has fortified rules regarding sexual harassment, abusive
\nconduct and romantic relationships between personnel. The ethics code,
\nwhich is currently 12 pages long and over four time the length of its
\npredecessor according to Bloomberg, has taken on two new rules which state:
\n“No management-level employee may make sexual advances, welcome or
\nunwelcome, toward any subordinate, regardless of whether the
\nsubordinate reports
\nto the management employee, either directly or indirectly,” and “No
\nemployee who has a personal relationship or romantic relationship with
\nanother employee may be in a position with any perceived or actual
\ninfluence over the other’s terms of employment.” <\/p>\n
\nThe updated ethics code stresses that “romantic relationship” could refer
\nto either casual dating or committed relationships between employees. The
\nretailer advises any employees who may be in a “romantic relationship”
\nwhere one person could have any influence over their terms of employment to
\ndisclose details to American Apparel’s Human Resources Department. Any
\nemployees who fail to follow the new ethics code and do not report a
\n“personal” or “romantic relationship” will be “subject to discipline”. The
\nfashion retailer notes that the Human resources department aims to handle
\nsuch private manners as discreetly as possible, but adds that
\n“confidentiality cannot be guaranteed”.<\/p>\n
\nAfterwards it is up to Human Resources and American Apparel to determine
\nthe nature of the relationship. “Even in the case when a relationship
\nbetween personnel does not involve a conflict of interest, employees are
\nreminded of the intersection between the Company’s Sexual Harassment policy and
\nworkplace conduct,” points out the code of ethics. <\/p>\n
\n“Unwelcome advances between Company personnel, even outside the workplace,
\nis not professional behaviour and may violate Company policy. Company
\npersonnel should never engage in any public displays of affection in the
\nworkplace, which may make others uncomfortable. If any harassing conduct or
\nunwelcome advances occur, the aggrieved employee should utilize the
\nprocedures for reporting sexual harassment.” <\/p>\n
\nThe renewed document highlights changes that the board of directors at the
\nfashion retailer aims to make after Charney’s exit last year. During his
\ntime at American Apparel, Charney was known to regularly attended meetings
\nand work in his office in nothing but his underwear. He was also accused of
\nengaging in sexual activity with a series of employees. Former sales
\nassociate Irene Morales claims that Charney kept her as his sex slave for
\neight months just after her eighteenth birthday. Currently all cases
\nagainst the disgraced former CEO have either been suspended or settled. <\/p>\n