Sexual harassment in the workplace: new figures show further need for action

When asked about specific situations, more than half of employees have experienced unwanted sexist and sexual behavior. Women, young employees and trainees are particularly affected. The study contains recommendations for prevention and is part of the Gender Equality Strategy 2030.

From a legal perspective, sexual harassment in the workplace constitutes discrimination on the basis of gender and is expressly prohibited as such in the Gender Equality Act. The study commissioned by the FOGE and SECO is the second survey on this topic following the first study in 2008. This time, employees and employers were surveyed.

The perception of sexual harassment in the workplace can vary from person to person. For this reason, employees were asked on the one hand whether they had felt sexually harassed in their previous working life and thus experienced sexual harassment within the meaning of the Gender Equality Act. On the other hand, employees were asked whether they had experienced specific sexist and sexual behavior in their previous working life that could be classified as sexual harassment under the Gender Equality Act, but were not necessarily perceived as such by the respondents. Twelve types of behavior were surveyed, covering a broad spectrum from sexist or derogatory remarks, jokes and messages, obscene gestures and physical advances to sexual assault.

Women, young professionals and trainees are particularly affected

The results show that a third of employees have been sexually harassed during their working life - the proportion is significantly higher for women (44%) than for men (17%). More than half (52%) have also experienced at least one of the sexist or sexual behaviors surveyed in the course of their working life. Here too, women (59%) are affected significantly more often than men (46%).

Younger employees have experienced more incidents in the last twelve months and felt sexually harassed more often than older employees. The influence of age is particularly clear among women. In the last twelve months alone, a third of young women aged between 16 and 25 have experienced sexual harassment at work. People in industries with a lot of customer contact, such as the hospitality, banking and healthcare sectors, are also frequently affected. The harassers are most often male colleagues at the same hierarchical level. In the case of women who reported harassment, this often came from superiors.

Recommendations for improving prevention

Employers are obliged under the Gender Equality Act and the Employment Act to take measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Despite this legal obligation, one in five companies have no prevention and intervention measures in place. Although the majority of employers state that their companies take sexual harassment seriously, the study reveals considerable gaps in the knowledge of the legal framework among both employers and employees.

The study therefore contains recommendations for targeted prevention and intervention work. Employers need to better sensitize and educate those responsible. The creation of clear company structures and processes is equally important so that those affected are encouraged to report incidents and receive support.

Based on the study, the FOGE and SECO will revise and update their information and training documents. These are aimed at industry organizations, employers and employees and will be published in the course of next year.

Source: Federal Office for Gender Equality
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