Here in Sacramento, some people might be following the meteoric rise of Herman Cain, the former Godfather's Pizza CEO who, this fall, came from far out of left field to emerge as a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination. Cain's no-nonsense style and controversial tax plans have put him on the front page several times.

Now, Cain's reputation has been somewhat tarnished by recently unearthed accusations that while he was at the National Restaurant Association, a trade and lobbying group he led for most of the mid-1990s, he allegedly sexually harassed two women. Sexual harassment, obviously, creates a hostile work environment. It is a violation of employment law, is against almost every company's code of conduct and, of course, is morally reprehensible.

On Monday, Cain admitted that he had been accused of sexual harassment during his tenure with the National Restaurant Association, but said the accusations were false.

It was also reported Monday that the National Restaurant Association reached a settlement with Cain's two accusers, under the terms of which the two women left the association and agreed not to discuss the allegations in public.

Now, at this point, we cannot say if these accusations are true. So far, they are just accusations and nothing more. If they turn out to be substantiated, however, they underscore the need for businesses and companies (like the National Restaurant Association), to develop clear sexual harassment guidelines and to have policies in place for when accusations arise, which they almost invariably do. A lawyer who has experience representing employers in employment law-related issues may be of service with this task.

Source: USA Today, "Cain: I was 'falsely accused' of sexual harassment," Catalina Camia, Oct. 31, 2011