New York — Nearly 2 out of 5 workers who reported workplace harassment weren’t satisfied with how their employer handled the matter, results of a recent survey show.
On behalf of online compliance training provider Traliant, researchers from Researchscape surveyed nearly 2,200 workers from organizations with at least 100 employees. Respondents represented the health care, retail, hospitality and manufacturing industries, as well as office settings.
Findings show that 38% of the respondents who reported harassment “expressed dissatisfaction” with the way their employer handled the report. Additionally, 22% of those who witnessed harassment chose not to report it.
Overall, 33% of the respondents indicated they’d report workplace harassment only if they could file complaints anonymously.
Other findings:
- 71% of the respondents who said they felt unsafe about reporting harassment cited concerns about retaliation as the primary barrier.
- 14% of the respondents indicated that they haven’t received workplace harassment prevention training in the past year.
- Nonsupervisory co-workers (37%) and direct supervisors (20%) were most frequently identified as those who committed harassment.
- 33% of the respondents in Gen Z and 24% of millennials said they’d experienced harassment, compared with 16% of those in Gen X and 12% of baby boomers.
“When reports of misconduct go unaddressed, organizations risk reinforcing cycles of fear and perpetuating cultures that tolerate harassment,” Elissa Rossi, vice president of compliance services at Traliant, said in a press release. “The survey findings make it clear that harassment remains a persistent challenge that employers need to address so employees can feel protected with the right knowledge and channels for responding to and reporting harassment.”
