NYC's Most Sexist Workplaces Should Be On List Of Shame, Pol Says

NEW YORK — The woman who broke ground as the City Council's first Latina speaker wants the city to name and shame its most sexist workplaces. Former speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito on Wednesday called for an annual list of the city's nastiest offices for women based on the prevalence of sexual harassment and other factors.

Mark-Viverito plans to introduce legislation to create the "Worst Workplaces for Women Watchlist" if she's elected public advocate next month. She's among more than 20 candidates reportedly seeking the post.

"Every woman knows the drill: A creepy comment. A passed-over promotion. A meeting filled with men who just won't stop talking over you. We all know what it's like to work somewhere that treats women terribly," Mark-Viverito, an East Harlem Democrat, said in a statement. "Now we're making sure this information is public, easily accessible, and known to all."

The list would serve as a tool to encourage employers to improve diversity, workplace culture and leave policies, according to Mark-Viverito's campaign.

It would evaluate offices based on a range of criteria, including the number of substantiated complaints about sexual harassment and gender discrimination, wage disparities, lack of diversity and sub-par family leave policies, Mark-Viverito's campaign said.

The full formula would be publicly disclosed and developed with experts including the city's Commission on Gender Equity and the Human Rights Commission, according to the campaign.

Both private and public sector workplaces would be included, the campaign said — meaning city agencies wouldn't be exempt from a public shaming. The public advocate's office would also provide free training and other resources for organizations that want to do better, the campaign said.

The proposal is reminiscent of the Worst Landlords Watchlist, an annual publication that calls out unscrupulous landlords. The list was started by Mayor Bill de Blasio when he was public advocate and continued by his successor, Letitia James, who is now the state attorney general.

News reports have detailed sexual harassment and abuse in myriad industries, from entertainment to restaurants to auto manufacturing. And the #MeToo movement has helped fell many powerful figures within those fields, such as disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, former CBS chairman Les Moonves and James' predecessor, former attorney general Eric Schneiderman.

City government hasn't been immune from the problem. City agencies received 1,312 sexual harassment complaints over a roughly four-year period, 221 of which were substantiated, according to figures reported last year.

Mark-Viverito's supporters lauded her proposal as a way to shine a rightfully harsh light on workplaces where women are mistreated.

"The Worst Workplaces for Women Watchlist will expose workplaces that fail to respect women and finally hold them accountable," Zenaida Mendez, the former president of the National Organization for Women's New York State chapter, said in a statement. "I look forward to the implementation of this plan when Melissa becomes Public Advocate."

(Lead image: Melissa Mark-Viverito is seen in December 2016. Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for Housing Works)