So, Bill O’Reilly — perhaps the biggest name in cable news — has been fired by Fox News after multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
Have Our Attitudes About Sexual Harassment Really Changed?
Bill O’Reilly — perhaps the biggest name in cable news — has been fired by Fox News after multiple allegations of sexual harassment. The fact that O’Reilly has been the subject of high-profile sexual harassment claims before, and recently inked a fresh contract with Fox, even as news of the allegations was splashed across the front page of the New York Times, has led many observers to ask: “What changed?” A look back at a classic 1981 HBR article shows the answer, surprisingly, is “not much.” Despite the rise of HR policies designed to combat it over the past 35 years, sexual harassment is still common, and still underreported. Men and women still often see it differently. Perhaps the only thing that’s changed is the glare of public shame that occurs when accusations become public, and companies’ discomfort at being in that spotlight.