NEW YORK, July 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The #MeToo
movement brought awareness and conversation to one of the most
urgent issues facing the workplace today, but not enough data has
been available to point to the causes or solutions until now. A new
study, "What #MeToo Means for Corporate America," conducted by the
Center for Talent Innovation (CTI), is the first of its kind to
measure the scope of the problem within the white-collar workforce,
to offer breakdowns by gender, generation, industry, and
race/ethnicity, and to provide leaders and employees at any level
with a framework for solutions.
The study, which surveyed 3,213 college-educated
employees between the ages of 21 and 65 currently working
full-time in white-collar occupations, finds that more than
one in three women and more than one in ten men have been victims
of sexual harassment (34 percent vs. 13 percent). More than half
(57 percent) of men who have been harassed were harassed by other
men. Of women who have been harassed, 72 percent were harassed by
someone more senior in their careers. The findings suggest that a
primary cause of harassment is an underlying motivation by some
individuals to reinforce gender norms and assert power over others.
Other findings include:
Industry:
- Women surveyed working in financial services are less likely to
have experienced sexual harassment than women working in other
industries. (Survey respondents were from a variety of industries
including media, technology, business/consulting, and
healthcare).
- Among survey respondents, the highest rates of sexual
harassment occur in the media industry: More than two out of five
women in media have been harassed by a colleague. More than one in
five men in this industry have been harassed.
Generation:
- Twenty-five percent of baby boomers, 24 percent of Generation
Xers, and 23 percent of millennials have experienced sexual
harassment from a colleague.
- Among survey respondents, millennials are more likely to have
experienced assault than baby boomers or Generation Xers, despite
fewer years in the workforce: Seven percent of millennials have
been sexually assaulted by a colleague (compared to four percent of
baby boomers and five percent of Generation Xers).
Race and Ethnicity:
- Latinas and white women are the most likely to have experienced
sexual harassment at work (37 percent for both groups).
- Twenty-three percent of black women who have been harassed were
harassed by other women, compared to 10 percent of white women, 10
percent of Latinas, and five percent of Asian women.
- Among survey respondents who have been sexually harassed, Asian
women are the most likely to have been harassed by colleagues who
are junior to them: 31 percent of Asian women who have been
harassed were harassed by a colleague who is junior to them,
compared to 15 percent of white women, 11 percent of Latinas, and
22 percent of black women.
The Negative Effect of Unchecked Sexual Misconduct:
- Men and women who have experienced sexual harassment at work
are less likely to be satisfied with their jobs than those who have
not been harassed.
- Employees who have been told about another colleague who has
been harassed and/or assaulted are less likely than those that have
not been told to be satisfied with their jobs and more likely to
feel stalled in their careers.
"In order to address harassment and assault, employers need to
know how often it's happening—and whom it affects," says
Ripa Rashid, co-president at the
Center for Talent Innovation. "Our findings around unchecked sexual
misconduct, in particular, are impactful because they make
clear that the word gets around among colleagues—and the effects on
overall culture are detrimental."
The study shares emerging solutions to address sexual harassment
in the workplace. Many companies have created programs and
guidelines to ensure an inclusive, equitable workplace. The study
highlights several approaches, which include: How to take a stand
on issues of sexual misconduct; how to report incidents; how to
train employees on how to update and improve training related to
sexual misconduct and gender discrimination; and how to track data
and responses in a more transparent way to ensure trust among
employees.
"As the culture of silence disappears with #MeToo, employers
must understand that not addressing this issue will impact not only
those who experience it but also those who hear about it," says
Laura Sherbin, co-president at the
Center for Talent Innovation. "We are hoping this research will
help businesses understand the importance of proactively tracking
these incidents in order to act in a way that's effective and
inclusive. Companies have a vital role to play."
For more information on "What #MeToo Means for Corporate
America," please visit www.talentinnovation.org.
Methodology:
The research consists of a survey; an online forum to collect
stories (opened on February 20,
2018); an Insights In-Depth® session (a proprietary
web-based tool used to conduct voice-facilitated virtual focus
groups); and one-on-one interviews with over 30 women and
men.
The national survey was conducted online and over the phone in
January 2018 among 3,213 respondents
(1,566 men, 1,633 women, 12 not identifying as male or female,
and two who did not disclose their gender) between the ages of
21 and 65 currently employed full time in white-collar occupations,
with at least a bachelor's degree. Data were weighted to be
representative of the US population on key demographics (age, sex,
education, race/ethnicity, housing tenure, telephone status, and
census division). The base used for statistical testing was the
effective base.
This survey was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago under the auspices of the
Center for Talent Innovation, a non-profit research organization.
NORC was responsible for the data collection, while the Center for
Talent Innovation conducted the analysis.
In the charts, percentages may not always add up to 100 because
of computer rounding or the acceptance of multiple responses from
respondents.
About the Center for Talent Innovation:
The Center for Talent Innovation (CTI) is a New York City–based
think tank that focuses on global talent strategies and the
retention and acceleration of well-qualified labor across the
divides of demographic difference including gender, generation,
geography, sexual orientation, and culture. CTI's research partners
now number more than 85 multinational corporations and
organizations.
Contact:
Silvia Marte
1-212-315-2333
smarte@talentinnovation.org
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SOURCE Center for Talent Innovation