Two thirds of young women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work

Three in five women have experienced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse while at work according to new research, as unions highlight the urgency of legislation to protect women in the workplace. 

This rises to two-thirds of young women, according to a new poll released by the Trades Union Congress. Of those who have experienced sexual harassment, two in five women said it had happened to them at least three times.

“Sexual harassment is happening on an industrial scale in workplaces across Britain,” said TUC general secretary Paul Nowak in a letter urging the government to deliver on its promise to protect women at work through new legislation. 

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The findings come as a number of high-profile men have left their jobs following allegations of sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse. 

In recent days, Tesco chairman John Allan has been accused of inappropriate behaviour, including touching the bottoms of two different women, and of making inappropriate remarks on multiple occasions. He has denied all but one of the allegations and remains in the role. 

Former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab recently resigned after an investigation found he bullied colleges, driving some to tears or to throw up before meetings with him. 

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In March, the former president of the Confederation of British Industry, Tony Danker, was sacked after a Guardian investigation found he sent a female employee a barrage of messages, some of which included sexually suggestive language, for more than a year. The CBI has also faced claims of a rape at a summer work party in 2019, and other sexual misconduct.

And it’s not only colleagues that women need protection from while trying to work. Half of women aged 18 to 34 say they have experienced harassment from a customer, client, patient, member of the public or other third party, according to the new research.

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Back in August 2021, then minister for women and equalities, Liz Truss, vowed to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace by introducing a duty to make employers responsible for protecting their staff harassment from colleagues and from third parties.

Nine months ago the Big Issue asked the government Equalities Office what happened to Liz Truss’s pledge to stamp out workplace sexual harassment? But it could only reaffirm the government’s commitment to delivering them. 

A bill to expand the duty of employers to protect their workers under the Equality Act 2010 is making its way through parliament as a private members bill brought by Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, however campaigners fear that time is running out for the bill to be passed before the summer recess of parliament.

“Ministers promised to bring in long overdue new laws to prevent workplace sexual harassment and tackle abuse from third parties like customers and clients,” said Nowak in a recent statement. 

He has accused government backbenchers of trying to “delay and derail” the bill, by adding in time-consuming amendments, so it does not pass within the parliamentary time available.A recent poll from management and leadership body, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), suggests that a third of managers have seen harassment or inappropriate behaviour at parties, with women more likely to say they had witnessed it.