One could say that sexual harassment in the workplace has evolved. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 was designed to make it easier for workers to sue their employers. While that has helped the victims to an extent, it most certainly has not done away with the problem.

This is despite companies spending lots of money on ongoing training programs and management workshops in an effort to curb sexual harassment. Looking at the numbers isn't necessarily helpful. Here's why.

Companies looking to save face have taken to a new tactic. Many of them require employees to agree to have complaints arbitrated. Some even require this as a condition to getting a job. So, many cases are actually settled, and it's a requirement that the settlements are kept secret. One could argue that those claims don't even count in the overall numbers.

In terms of the "official" count, the numbers are actually falling a bit. The number of sexual harassment charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission fell to 11,717 in 2010. That's down from a peak of 15,889 in 1997, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

On the other hand, complaints made by men are on the upswing. Last year, 16.4 percent of complaints filed with the EEOC were by men. That's up nearly five percent since 1997.

What do you think? Are companies merely protecting themselves with confidential settlements, rather than protecting the victims? Are they covering up what is truly going on? And if so, what should be done about it?

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, "Harassment claims often settled confidentially," Jeff Green, Nov. 20, 2011