Five years ago, a tweet by actress Alyssa Milano went viral, leading women worldwide to use the now-familiar hashtag: #MeToo. The rallying cry had begun against sexual misconduct, rape culture, and sexual harassment in the workplace. A recent survey by The Shift Workshop, a New York HR consultancy firm, found that over 50% of the nearly 1,700 respondents had dealt with sexual harassment over the past 12 months. As a result, the researchers concluded that despite media attention and increased training on the issue, systemic change concerning sexual harassment in the workplace has yet to occur.
According to the survey, 49% of white workers experienced sexual harassment, whereas 56% of Hispanic workers, 61% of Black workers, and 67% of Native American and indigenous workers experienced harassment. The survey results also indicated that 50% of male employees were subject to harassment, as compared to 55% of female employees. The most common type of harassment was unwelcome sexual advances (46%), followed by requests for sexual favors (36%). Remote workers were more likely than on-site workers to experience sexual harassment, often experiencing harassment through email and internal messaging apps.
Despite these troubling survey results, another 2022 study by the Pew Research Center indicates that most Americans believe workplaces are less tolerant of sexual harassment and abuse and more supportive of those reporting harassment than they were five years ago. The study involved a survey of about 6,000 workers and found that 70% of respondents believed that workplace harassers and abusers were more likely to be held accountable for their actions today than they were five years ago. Furthermore, about 50% of those respondents who had heard of the #MeToo movement supported it, as opposed to 21% of the respondents who opposed it.
Companies can and should continue to work toward eliminating a workplace culture in which sexual harassment is a norm, implicitly. To do otherwise puts employers at risk for unwanted litigation and difficulty attracting and retaining employees. Some proactive steps that businesses can take to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace include the following:
- Routinely update all sexual harassment policies;
- Conduct periodic training on sexual harassment and related issues;
- Establish multiple ways of anonymously reporting sexual harassment;
- Experience clear disciplinary procedures and penalties for sexual harassment and related misconduct; and
- Create an open, inclusive environment to avoid sexism and allow everyone to thrive.
These surveys show that although our society has made some strides toward combatting workplace sexual harassment, more work is still necessary to decrease and hopefully eradicate this problem. While changing policies and procedures is critical, truly transformative and systemic changes will come through a shift in workplace culture.
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