Sexual harassment can affect employee health

Degrading attitudes to women

A study from the University of Michigan has found that gender harassment in the workplace has a negative impact on women's physical and emotional health. The report stated that any harassment, irrespective of whether it includes unwanted sexual attention, can affect health but that it is often an essential component.

The article entitled Law and Human Behavior said that "verbal and nonverbal behaviors that convey insulting, hostile and degrading attitudes to women" could in turn lead to a negative effect on employee professional performance.

As such, the study has suggested that existing US legislation should be interpreted as including gender harassment as a serious form of sex-based discrimination in the workplace.

According to HRM Guide, the study was formed after analysing survey data from women working in two male-dominated environments: the US military (9725 respondents) and federal legal practice (1425 respondents). In these two environments, they identified five types of harassment:

• low victimisation (sexist behavior)
• gender harassment (sexist and crude harassment)
• gender harassment including unwanted sexual attention
• moderate victimisation involving all types of harassment
• high victimisation with frequent harassment.

Prevalent harassment

Within these two industries, 90 percent of respondents said they had been a victim of the first two categories. As such, they reported both negative personal and professional consequences.

It was especially in the military that victims scored significantly less on all work attitudes and reported greater performance decline due to the impact on physical and emotional health.

They also reported lower overall psychological well-being and health satisfaction and were more likely to consider leaving their jobs. Unsurprisingly, gender-harassed attorneys reported lower satisfaction with professional relationships and higher levels of stress.

Whether the report will change legislation remains to be seen, but the harassment that these victims faced, according to the report, means adverse consequences for all those concerned.

Relevant articles:

The health implications of workplace stress | Male sexual harassment claims on the rise |Boost staff morale or risk loss of productivity

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