These workplace sexual harassment statistics reveal just how often this illegal practice is victimizing some workers, a Los Angeles employment & harassment attorney explains.
Despite the laws prohibiting it and the negative stigma surrounding it, workplace sexual harassment continues to rear its ugly head far too often in many work settings.
In fact, research published earlier this year reveals some shocking insights regarding how and where – and how often – this illegal behavior is occurring in the U.S. We’ll point out some of the most significant findings from this research below.
If you or a loved one has been harassed or discriminated against at work, however, and you need answers now about your rights and options now, don’t hesitate to contact a seasoned Los Angeles employment & harassment attorney at Urbanic & Associates.
Sexual Harassment at Work: The Latest Statistics
The following work-related sexual harassment statistics come from research1 conducted by a major publisher, with the findings based on the anonymous responses of more than 2,200 female respondents:
- About 1 in 3 working women younger than 35 years old has been sexually harassed at work at least one time – Although the majority of these women reported that their harassers were male (coworkers, supervisors or even clients), about 1 in 10 respondents had been sexually harassed by a female at work.
- Nearly 3 in 4 workplace sexual harassment claims go unreported – Tragically, more than 70 percent of women who are the victims of workplace sexual harassment never report the incident or try to hold their harassers accountable.In some cases, this may be due to the fact that some victims may not even realize that the incident was workplace sexual harassment (as about 16 percent of respondents didn’t have a clear understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment at work).
Another major reason that the lion’s share of these cases are never reported may be attributed to embarrassment, fear of retaliation or the desire to move on/leave the incident in the past.
- Although most commonly verbal, workplace sexual harassment can (and often does) arise in other forms – In fact, more than 80 percent of respondents had experienced workplace sexual harassment via something a colleague or someone else said to them.About 44 percent had experienced unwanted physical contact or sexual advances when they were harassed at work. And, about 25 percent had been sent at least one sexually obscene email or text message from a coworker or supervisor.
- Education levels don’t affect the risk or incidence of workplace sexual harassment – In fact, researchers found that workplace sexual harassment seems to be blind to education levels, as the women who reporting having been sexually harassed at work come from all different educational backgrounds.
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Contact a Los Angeles Employment & Harassment Attorney at Urbanic & Associates
Have you been the target of workplace discrimination, harassment or retaliation? If so, you can turn to a Los Angeles employment & harassment attorney at Urbanic & Associates for help defending your rights and pursuing justice.
To find out more about your best options for moving forward and fighting back, call (310) 216-0900 or send our firm an email using the contact form on this page.
From our offices based in Los Angeles, Attorney James Urbanic provides superior representation to clients throughout Los Angeles County and southern California, including (but not limited to) those in Glendale, Burbank, Alhambra, Van Nuys, Santa Monica and Orange County.
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1: Findings Published by HuffingtonPost (Feb. 2015)
