Reuters
Former CBS CEO Leslie Moonves.
- In an email to all CBS staff Friday, the company urged employees to fill out an anonymous survey about workplace culture.
- The move comes a week after CBS News settled a lawsuit with three women who accused former CBS anchor Charlie Rose of "blatant and repeated sexual harassment."
- Ryan Kadro, executive producer of CBS This Morning, was named in the suit. He announced he would leave the company in January.
CBS is surveying its employees about workplace culture and rolling out new programs to deal with workplace harassment in the wake of accusations against former CBS host Charlie Rose and former CBS CEO Leslie Moonves.
Employees received an anonymous survey to provide "frank and honest" feedback on their experiences to build a "stronger CBS."
"We want to be clear CBS has turned a page on its approach to these issues, and although this work will take time, it is worth it to be comprehensive and get input from all of you," read an email to all CBS employees.
The broadcaster also said it would unveil new programs to improve workplace culture in the coming months. The programs have been promised to employees since September and include efforts to increase transparency, solutions to ensure open communication, improve trainings, and processes for reporting and taking action.
The survey comes as lawyers hired by CBS recently concluded an investigation into sexual misconduct claims against Moonves and broader workplace culture issues at the company. Moonves left the company in September after a dozen women told The New Yorker that Moonves sexually assaulted or harassed them and that their careers suffered as a result.
The lawyers' investigation concluded that "the board would have multiple bases upon which to conclude that the company was entitled to terminate Moonves for cause," according to a draft of the report viewed by The New York Times. The fate of Moonves' $120 million severance package remains uncertain. The board is reviewing the report to decide if Moonves will receive the payout, according to the Times.
And CBS News recently settled a lawsuit with three women who accused former CBS anchor Charlie Rose of "blatant and repeated sexual harassment."
The email also follows the news that Ryan Kadro, executive producer of CBS This Morning, would leave the company in January. Kadro, who has been at CBS since 2010, was named in the suit against Rose, which was settled a week ago. Kadro said in an email to staff that his departure was related to a desire to try something new.
"I couldn't shake the feeling in my gut that I need a new challenge (and a serious nap.) It's the natural course of things," Kadro wrote.
The women who sued CBS - Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal, and Chelsea Wei - worked at CBS between 2016 and 2018 and claimed in the suit that Rose harassed them, "including unwanted physical touching, including without limitation caressing and touching their arms, shoulders, waist and back, pulling them close to his body, and kissing them on the cheek."
The suit also claimed Kadro "knew that Mr. Rose had a history of sexual harassment" and that Wei "told Mr. Kadro words to the effect of, 'I'm telling you in case you have a lawsuit on your hands.'" Wei filed a complaint to human resources against Rose and Kadro in November 2017, the suit claims.
The lawsuit also alleged acts of intimidation by Kadro, claiming he "kicked and shoved Ms. Wei's chair with substantial force, startling, intimidating and scaring Ms. Wei."
Back when the lawsuit was filed in May, CBS said it would "vigorously defend against the allegations pertaining to CBS News and Mr. Kadro."