I have been falsely accused of SH. I am a senior executive and have never had anything like this happen before. The accusations are a he said she said event that she said happened on a business trip - she has not witnesses and besides this tumped up offense - no other supporting issues. She has asked for a huge sum of money 300k. She is under the false assumption that I am wealthy. The company is a startup - and does not have that kind of capital. The company has just taken a small investment. I am at the end of my career and my health is not that good and I really dont have the energy to deal with this crap. Any suggestions- I am at the end of my rope.

The scope of any advice will depend upon to whom she had made her accusation, i.e., internally within the company or with a government agency.

But as a general matter, the company needs to conduct an inquiry into her allegation and as the alleged harasser, you may be required to respond to her accusation. Many companies have SH policies and procedures. You need to determine whether your company has any and review them to get an indication of what to expect. If she files a complaint with a governmental agency and a violation is found, the employer is required to provide relief, not the accused employee. So, your net worth is really irrelevant.

The best protection you have is a very thorough, non-biased investigation that meets all of your companies policy requirements for this type of allegation. I could not tell if you owned the company or not, but if you do and you do not have SH investigation policies and procedures, find a non-biased investigor who is trained to do these types of investigation. Be upfront and professional in you dealings with the issue. Should she file with EEOC, be prepared for them to automatically assume that she is telling the truth. The results of the investigation will be your main support to combat the allegations. Good luck.

It's not clear whether she's approached the company directly with her extortion attempt or whether she's filed a SH claim with your State or the federal EEOC. Either way, your company would be very well advised to consult with an employment law attorney. Both of the prior posters are correct that a thorough unbiased investigation of her allegations is necessary. An attorney will also be able to determine whether she has a history of making SH claims against prior employers and if she has, it may make her current allegations far less credible. Some individuals have made a career out of making false claims against the companies unfortunate enough to employ them.

Either way, responding to her complaint and monetary demands is not a do-it-yourself job. Your company really needs to consult with an experienced employment law attorney asap. Good luck.