The movement to address the widespread prevalence of sexual harassment and even assault is creeping into the boardrooms of prominent corporations — but it’s not clear yet whether companies are updating their policies when it comes to dealing with such claims.

The #MeToo movement was sparked last fall after bombshell reports in the New Yorker and the New York Times disclosed alleged sexual harassment and assault by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Since then, similar allegations have brought down numerous men in the entertainment industry, from actor Kevin Spacey to “Today” anchor Matt Lauer.

This trend has not left corporate America unscathed. Even before the Weinstein allegations came to light, claims of sexual harassment led to a spate of firings at the ride-hailing company Uber. More recently, Wynn Resorts Ltd. WYNN, -2.01% Chief Executive and Chairman Steve Wynn resigned from his company after facing scrutiny for an alleged track record of pressuring female employees to perform sex acts.

Those claims have prompted investigations by gaming regulators in Massachusetts and Nevada. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission revealed that Wynn Resorts had failed to disclose a $7.5 million settlement paid to a woman who claimed that Steve Wynn forced her to have sex with him.

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The way in which Wynn Resorts handled the sexual-assault allegations lobbed at its founder is not atypical of corporate America. Many companies follow similar protocols in mediating such disputes, said Brian Kropp, who leads the human-resources practice at the consulting firm Gartner. “With some companies, their playbook on how to respond to claims of sexual harassment is 30 years old,” Kropp said.

To this day, many companies will handle such allegations by having human resources perform an internal investigation. If the claims look to be true, the victim will get some sort of financial payout, while the harasser will be reprimanded — or fired, if the allegations are particularly egregious. However, the deliberations are for the most part kept under wraps. “They want to minimize risk and exposure for the company,” Kropp said. “That mind-set still permeates how a lot of organizations are approaching sexual harassment today.”

Some companies have chosen a newer approach — one that gets to the core of the company’s culture. In these instances, the companies are instilling a sense of equity across the organization. That includes measures that ensure equal pay and efforts to promote more women and people from other underrepresented groups, Kropp said. “It’s thinking about all the systems within a company that create a perception of unfairness,” he said. “So rather than trying to manage risk, they are creating a culture where it’s not allowed.”

A recent study from hiring firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas found that only one-third of companies felt compelled to re-evaluate their sexual harassment policies in light of the #MeToo movement. Of those, only 25% chose to update their guidelines.

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So what decisions to this end are being made in the boardrooms of the 30 companies that form the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.87% ? It’s tough to say.

MarketWatch reached out to all 30 companies, asking them to comment on whether they’ve updated their policies related to sexual-harassment claims in light of recent events. Only 10 of those companies provided comment.

The lack of response shouldn’t be surprising though, Kropp said. “They don’t want to respond to questions about what they do or don’t do because every response that’s out there is discoverable if a lawsuit occurs,” he said.

Here is what the companies that have responded have had to say:

• 3M Co. MMM, -1.64% said that any inappropriate behavior that violates the company’s goals related to mutual respect will not be tolerated, even if the actions aren’t illegal. “Employees at every level are required to report any behavior that would interfere with a fair and respectful workplace, and complaints are investigated promptly,” the company said.

Employee concerns can be raised to leadership and human resources or through 3M’s reporting system, which provides the option to remain anonymous.

• American Express Co. AXP, -1.16% said that sexual harassment in the workplace isn’t tolerated and that reports of sexual harassment are investigated. The company further reviews policies relating to harassment “in a timely manner and update them as needed,” it said.

• Apple Inc. AAPL, -3.17% said it continuously looks at its already strong policies, with every allegation vigorously investigated. The company’s current business-conduct guidelines indicate that Apple will not “tolerate discrimination or harassment of employees or non-employees with whom we have a business, service, or professional relationship.”

• Caterpillar Inc. CAT, -0.96% described itself as “a values-based company” in a statement. The company trains all employees on its code of conduct, which includes “robust anti-harassment policies,” on an annual basis, it said.

• Cisco Systems Inc. CSCO, -1.38% said it focuses on corporate culture as part of its approach to addressing concerns surround misconduct. “We believe that preventing sexual harassment is not just a matter of having sound policies, but having a culture in which employees are comfortable bringing their concerns forward and calling out inappropriate behavior when and if it occurs,” Cisco said. “Our focus is on ensuring that all Cisco employees are cognizant of the power dynamics and are committed to fostering an environment in which every employee is heard, valued and is in a position to be their best at work.”

The company added that it “unequivocally” prohibited harassment and discrimination through its code of conduct and harassment prevention policies.

• Coca-Cola Co. KO, -0.19% has not updated policies related to sexual harassment in reaction to recent events, but a company spokesman said that the company reviews and updates policies “almost annually” to meet changes in the law and in best practices. “We reissued our policy recently as part of our standard practice. In light of recent events,” the spokesman said. “We also reminded all employees of our policy and of our leadership’s commitment to that policy.”

• General Electric Co. GE, -2.41% said it does not tolerate sexual harassment. The company has open reporting channels and encourages employees to come forward through them if they have been subject to inappropriate conduct. Those allegations are then “impartially investigated,” and “swift disciplinary action” will occur as needed.

The company’s general counsel recently sent a memo to all employees reiterating the company’s zero-tolerance policy and its transparency in handling these matters.

• Home Depot Inc. HD, -1.70% also said it has a zero-tolerance policy for “anyone who violates our value of respect for all people,” a company spokesman said. Home Depot maintains an open-door policy to encourage anyone to report incidents of harassment, which is backed up with regular training, according to the company.

• International Business Machines Corp. IBM, -1.72% was yet another company that said it has a “zero-tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment.” Managers, it said, are required to complete annual training.

• JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM, -0.21% referred to Chief Executive Jamie Dimon’s note to employees in June in which he wrote that employees should not refrain from reporting any unethical conduct.

“If you see something wrong — or think it isn’t right — say something,” Dimon wrote. “Raise the issue and report it. We rely on your personal integrity to protect and enhance the firm’s reputation.”

• United Technologies Corp. US:UTX didn’t offer a formal response, but the company has recently reissued its code of ethics. In a letter to employees, Chief Executive Gregory Hayes said that central to the code is a commitment to promote and support open communication, at all levels of the company. “I encourage you to speak up and report activity or behavior that doesn’t seem right,” Hayes wrote in the letter. “There are multiple channels available to employees to report concerns either directly or anonymously.”

He said the company takes each reported concern seriously and thoroughly investigates. “We will not tolerate retaliation against any employee who reports wrongdoing — regardless of the outcome of the investigation.”

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Awaiting a response from:

Boeing Co. BA, -3.81%

Chevron Corp. CVX, -0.73%

DowDuPont Inc. US:DWDP

Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM, -1.61%

Intel Corp. INTC, -0.85%

Johnson & Johnson JNJ, +1.36%

McDonald’s Corp. MCD, -1.03%

Merck & Co. MRK, +0.19%

Microsoft Corp. MSFT, -1.24%

Nike Inc. NKE, -1.46%

Pfizer Inc. PFE, -0.51%

Procter & Gamble Co. PG, -0.10%

UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH, +0.99%

Travelers Companies Inc. TRV, -0.87%

Verizon Communications Inc. VZ, -0.39%

Visa Inc. V, -1.29%

Walmart Inc. WMT, -1.02%

Walt Disney Co. DIS, -1.22%

(This story has been updated.)