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While the #MeToo movement has prompted important discussions about workplace equality, a comprehensive SourceMedia study<\/a> shows sexual harassment continues to be an issue in many industries.The research, conducted in February and March of 2018, reveals which industries have the highest prevalence of unwanted sexual conduct, blind spots that may be preventing corrections, and how millennials differ from other generations on possible solutions. More than 3,000 people participated in the study, including professionals who work in human resources, a segment that sometimes had different perspectives from the others overall (as the chart above illustrates).Click on the slideshow to get more insights about sexual harassment across an array of professional communities, seniority levels and ages.Though often unsettling, the data also lights a path forward.For the methodology, please see: Behind the research.<\/a>For a single-page version of this slideshow, please see: 10 key findings: Sexual harassment in the professional workplace.<\/a> And for all the articles in this series, please click here<\/a>.<\/p>

Men have high awareness <\/h2>
Women are more likely to have personally been subject to sexual harassment (31% of all female respondents), but men and women are equally aware that harassment is happening. Awareness is defined as having experienced, witnessed or heard about unwelcome sexual conduct.Comments from survey respondents:
\u201cIt appears to have reached a groundswell such that most, if not all, industries are likely to finally take women seriously in the workplace. It's about time. I'm a white male, so I've no axe to grind.\u201d (M, 50-54)<\/li>
"As an administrator I saw acts of sexual misconduct, comments made about female and male representatives. These acts came from all levels, from executives to independent agents." (F, 35-39)<\/li>
\u201cEveryone is watching everyone; however, some people will still violate boundaries.\u201d (M, 60-64)<\/li>
"Lack of law, culture that victim gets further pressure from gossip." (M, 35-39)<\/li>
\u201cI will admit that during my time in the [banking] industry, a problem with sexual misconduct happened but it was addressed and the guilty person was terminated.\u201d (M, 70-74)<\/li><\/ul>For a related story, please see: HR\u2019s culture shift: Tackling workplace sexual harassment while navigating legal definitions<\/a><\/p>

Men also have a blind spot<\/h2>
It seems woke men aren\u2019t really that woke. There is a gap between what women who have experienced sexual harassment say is happening in the workplace and what men say is happening and to what extent. Men cite \u201cinappropriate questions, jokes and innuendo\u201d to the same degree as women. But men are far less aware of the extent of persistent unwelcome requests, threats of retaliation and unwanted touching \u2014 perhaps because these behaviors are deemed acceptable by some men or perhaps because these behaviors are less visible.Respondent comments:
\u201cAt the start of my profession as an auditor, I was sexually harassed by clients and my employer did nothing to deal with the issue.\u201d (F, 60-64)<\/li>
\u201cEven with education, it is sometimes not identified as sexual harassment.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cI think an appreciation and understanding of what is appropriate and inappropriate is a big part of the issue.\u201d (M, 45-49)<\/li>
\u201cAssociates work together a lot. Sometimes very late and develop a rapport. Boundaries blur and sometimes lines are crossed. This field is male dominated too, so any \u2018attractive\u2019 woman may also receive more attention because of it.\u201d (M, 21-25)<\/li>
\u201cEmployees think everyone accepts this behavior as \u2018playing around.\u2019\u201d (F, 40-44)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Executive women more likely to believe their industry views harassment as a low priority<\/h2>
Executive women \u2014 almost a third of whom say they have experienced unwelcome sexual behavior \u2014 aren\u2019t as confident that their industries are willing to address and solve the problem of workplace sexual harassment.Compared with male executives, they are less likely to believe their industry has prioritized the issue. Even as executive women express frustration, they cite business needs: \u201cUpper management has more pressing priorities,\u201d says one women, a 20-year veteran in the consulting industry. \u201cThey are typically male and don't see the need for increased emphasis.\u201dAdditional respondent comments:
\u201cIt is a rare occurrence. Financial regulations are more of a concern, protection of the client.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cIndustry will be slow to change if it costs money to do so. They will weigh the risk and the reward for changing their culture or process.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cHistorically too few women in positions of upper management\/C-suite level; male attitudes that such behavior is just \u2018joking around\u2019 or \u2018banter\u2019; fear that not going along with it is perceived as not being a team player.\u201d (F, 40-44)<\/li>
\u201cAddressing this issue presents an immediate cost with very little perceived benefit, at least initially.\u201d (F, 40-44)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Apathy reigns when harassment is frequent, underreported and tolerated<\/h2>
When SourceMedia focused on respondents who find themselves in the worst-case scenario \u2014 those who perceive high frequency of harassment, lack of reporting and lack of organizational responsiveness \u2014 we found a real sense of hopelessness, even bitterness.These respondents have little faith that the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace will be solved. They don\u2019t believe their industries have prioritized fixing the issue.Some respondents understood the implications: \u201cOur industry is a critical industry and one source of the nation\u2019s wealth,\u201d writes one female information technology professional (age 40-44) in her survey response. \u201cThey [must] prioritize this matter highly in order to sustain and keep competent employees.\u201dAdditional respondent comments:
\u201cLittle interest to upper management until someone gets caught.\u201d (M, 35-39)<\/li>
\u201cI think it's a priority when a complaint is filed, but lower ongoing priority than other business needs.\u201d (F, 50-59)<\/li>
\u201cEveryone is paying it lip service. The orgs where this is prevalent think they can continue to get away with it.\u201d (M, 40-44)<\/li>
\u201cThere are so many competing priorities and other legislative burdens that have to be complied with that this is just one in a long list of items that have to be dealt with.\u201d (F, 50-54)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Young people have a different take on what will work<\/h2>
While respondents overall rank government intervention low among possible solutions to the problem of harassment, the so-called millennial generation is more open to such measures than other age groups. Millennials, defined here as respondents aged 21-34, were also less likely to believe that workplace sensitivity training would be an effective solution. Across the other age groups, respondents put more faith in solutions within the company: workplace cultural changes, upper management commitment and better HR procedures to handle complaints.Respondent comments:
\u201cGood talking point like diversity, innovation and other buzzwords. I am skeptical about the follow-up on these issues. (M, 26-29)<\/li>
\u201cNo one cares here. They only want to \u2018appear\u2019 to care.\u201d (F, 30-34)<\/li>
\u201cAt the moment, I consider this issue as a \u2018compliance\u2019 regulation framework.\u201d (M, 30-34)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Most professionals and business people see #MeToo as a positive force<\/h2>
A majority of respondents, regardless of age, rank or gender, believe the #MeToo movement will create at least some degree of change in the workplace. Only 10% say it will have a high impact. But a strong belief that change is coming has clearly permeated the professional communities we surveyed.One caveat though is that some fear the change will be negative. They expressed concern that men who are fearful could discriminate against women in hiring and mentoring<\/a>.Additional respondent comments:
\u201cThe #MeToo movement has upper-level executives scared. They now realize the consequences for this unwanted behavior.\u201d (F 50-59)<\/li>
\u201cI would think the impact will always be both negative and positive. Positive in the sense that it will shed light on the issue but negative in a sense that people will look to take advantage of this movement at the expense of the people involved and overall cause.\u201d (M, 35-39)<\/li>
\u201cI believe journalistic attention to this situation has brought it higher in the mindset and thoughts of executives and HR personnel; but not high enough yet.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cSocial media movements move the media, not so much the real world. Makes people feel good to self-actualize but has little impact on actual behaviors. Real people doing real things within the organization and among its client\/customer base will have meaningful impact.\u201d (M, 65-69)<\/li><\/ul>For a related story, please see: A #MeToo backlash is brewing in banking<\/a><\/p>

Women who experience the most severe forms of sexual harassment are doubtful reports will be handled fairly<\/h2>
Fewer than half of respondents say they believe harassment is handled fairly by organizations in their industry. Women who have been subject to the most severe forms of unwelcome sexual behavior have the least confidence organizations in their industry will do the right thing.Respondent comments:
\u201cBecause the banking industry\u2019s leaders are generally asleep at the wheel. Taking action as we have done at our organization is not happening at peer banks.\u201d (F, 50-54)<\/li>
\u201cFinancial services industry has never dealt with women in a real way. Unfortunately there are not enough women in upper mgmt to force change.\u201d (F, 60-64)<\/li>
\u201cSome residents and physicians feel they are superior and untouchable by management.\u201d (F, 50-54)<\/li>
\u201cIn education there is a heightened awareness of this problem and the necessity of dealing with it swiftly and fairly.\u201d (F, 50-54)<\/li>
\u201cToo many other mandatory job requirements on their plate to deal with other important issues.\u201d (M, 65-69)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Smaller organizations are more vulnerable<\/h2>
Among respondents at organizations with fewer than 100 employees, 16% say harassment is highly prevalent in their industry. The responses suggest this is related to a lack of extensive human resources departments that would otherwise facilitate training and patrol transgressions. When companies have fewer than 100 employees, \u201cit is easy to be loose and less professional as there are no ramifications," says one respondent (M, 50-54).Additional respondent comments:
"At least for my company, we are too small and don't have a big name reputation at stake. We also don't have the resources or employees who are trained to handle these situations.\u201d (F, 30-34)<\/li>
There\u2019s "no training on the subject of sexual harassment." (M, 50-54)<\/li>
\u201cA lot of firms are small without an effective HR mechanism to make a complaint.\u201d (M, 50-54)<\/li><\/ul>For a related story, please see: Sexual harassment is a bigger problem than accountants think<\/a><\/p>

Wealth management fares worst <\/h2>
Financial advisory professionals are far more likely to say unwanted sexual conduct is highly prevalent in their industry than the average survey respondent. Many of the respondents in the financial advisory sector cited their industry\u2019s history and traditions as a factor. \u201cIt\u2019s getting better, but it is a carry-over from years past when the industry included a substantial amount of flirting and hitting on, which today is more likely than not called sexual harassment,\u201d says one male survey respondent, who has 25 years of industry experience.Additional respondent comments:
\u201cWhile there have been some high profile lawsuits by women, the locker room attitude continues." (M, 55)<\/li>
There is a \u201crelatively high ratio of males to females in all roles but especially in higher power roles.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cAlthough getting better, there were many cases of men abusing their power in the past couple of decades.\u201d (F, 21-25)<\/li>
\u201cInvestment advisory is very male, lots of big egos. I see the worst behavior when I'm at a conference \u2014 the alcohol and being away from home seems to make some men regress back into 18-year-old frat boys.\u201d (F, 60-64)<\/li><\/ul>For a related story, please see: Wealth management fares worst in broad study of sexual harassment <\/a><\/p>

","saveContent":"
While the #MeToo movement has prompted important discussions about workplace equality, a comprehensive SourceMedia study<\/a> shows sexual harassment continues to be an issue in many industries.The research, conducted in February and March of 2018, reveals which industries have the highest prevalence of unwanted sexual conduct, blind spots that may be preventing corrections, and how millennials differ from other generations on possible solutions. More than 3,000 people participated in the study, including professionals who work in human resources, a segment that sometimes had different perspectives from the others overall (as the chart above illustrates).Click on the slideshow to get more insights about sexual harassment across an array of professional communities, seniority levels and ages.Though often unsettling, the data also lights a path forward.For the methodology, please see: Behind the research.<\/a>For a single-page version of this slideshow, please see: 10 key findings: Sexual harassment in the professional workplace.<\/a> And for all the articles in this series, please click here<\/a>.<\/p>

Men have high awareness <\/h2>
Women are more likely to have personally been subject to sexual harassment (31% of all female respondents), but men and women are equally aware that harassment is happening. Awareness is defined as having experienced, witnessed or heard about unwelcome sexual conduct.Comments from survey respondents:
\u201cIt appears to have reached a groundswell such that most, if not all, industries are likely to finally take women seriously in the workplace. It's about time. I'm a white male, so I've no axe to grind.\u201d (M, 50-54)<\/li>
"As an administrator I saw acts of sexual misconduct, comments made about female and male representatives. These acts came from all levels, from executives to independent agents." (F, 35-39)<\/li>
\u201cEveryone is watching everyone; however, some people will still violate boundaries.\u201d (M, 60-64)<\/li>
"Lack of law, culture that victim gets further pressure from gossip." (M, 35-39)<\/li>
\u201cI will admit that during my time in the [banking] industry, a problem with sexual misconduct happened but it was addressed and the guilty person was terminated.\u201d (M, 70-74)<\/li><\/ul>For a related story, please see: HR\u2019s culture shift: Tackling workplace sexual harassment while navigating legal definitions<\/a><\/p>

Men also have a blind spot<\/h2>
It seems woke men aren\u2019t really that woke. There is a gap between what women who have experienced sexual harassment say is happening in the workplace and what men say is happening and to what extent. Men cite \u201cinappropriate questions, jokes and innuendo\u201d to the same degree as women. But men are far less aware of the extent of persistent unwelcome requests, threats of retaliation and unwanted touching \u2014 perhaps because these behaviors are deemed acceptable by some men or perhaps because these behaviors are less visible.Respondent comments:
\u201cAt the start of my profession as an auditor, I was sexually harassed by clients and my employer did nothing to deal with the issue.\u201d (F, 60-64)<\/li>
\u201cEven with education, it is sometimes not identified as sexual harassment.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cI think an appreciation and understanding of what is appropriate and inappropriate is a big part of the issue.\u201d (M, 45-49)<\/li>
\u201cAssociates work together a lot. Sometimes very late and develop a rapport. Boundaries blur and sometimes lines are crossed. This field is male dominated too, so any \u2018attractive\u2019 woman may also receive more attention because of it.\u201d (M, 21-25)<\/li>
\u201cEmployees think everyone accepts this behavior as \u2018playing around.\u2019\u201d (F, 40-44)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Executive women more likely to believe their industry views harassment as a low priority<\/h2>
Executive women \u2014 almost a third of whom say they have experienced unwelcome sexual behavior \u2014 aren\u2019t as confident that their industries are willing to address and solve the problem of workplace sexual harassment.Compared with male executives, they are less likely to believe their industry has prioritized the issue. Even as executive women express frustration, they cite business needs: \u201cUpper management has more pressing priorities,\u201d says one women, a 20-year veteran in the consulting industry. \u201cThey are typically male and don't see the need for increased emphasis.\u201dAdditional respondent comments:
\u201cIt is a rare occurrence. Financial regulations are more of a concern, protection of the client.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cIndustry will be slow to change if it costs money to do so. They will weigh the risk and the reward for changing their culture or process.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cHistorically too few women in positions of upper management\/C-suite level; male attitudes that such behavior is just \u2018joking around\u2019 or \u2018banter\u2019; fear that not going along with it is perceived as not being a team player.\u201d (F, 40-44)<\/li>
\u201cAddressing this issue presents an immediate cost with very little perceived benefit, at least initially.\u201d (F, 40-44)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Apathy reigns when harassment is frequent, underreported and tolerated<\/h2>
When SourceMedia focused on respondents who find themselves in the worst-case scenario \u2014 those who perceive high frequency of harassment, lack of reporting and lack of organizational responsiveness \u2014 we found a real sense of hopelessness, even bitterness.These respondents have little faith that the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace will be solved. They don\u2019t believe their industries have prioritized fixing the issue.Some respondents understood the implications: \u201cOur industry is a critical industry and one source of the nation\u2019s wealth,\u201d writes one female information technology professional (age 40-44) in her survey response. \u201cThey [must] prioritize this matter highly in order to sustain and keep competent employees.\u201dAdditional respondent comments:
\u201cLittle interest to upper management until someone gets caught.\u201d (M, 35-39)<\/li>
\u201cI think it's a priority when a complaint is filed, but lower ongoing priority than other business needs.\u201d (F, 50-59)<\/li>
\u201cEveryone is paying it lip service. The orgs where this is prevalent think they can continue to get away with it.\u201d (M, 40-44)<\/li>
\u201cThere are so many competing priorities and other legislative burdens that have to be complied with that this is just one in a long list of items that have to be dealt with.\u201d (F, 50-54)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Young people have a different take on what will work<\/h2>
While respondents overall rank government intervention low among possible solutions to the problem of harassment, the so-called millennial generation is more open to such measures than other age groups. Millennials, defined here as respondents aged 21-34, were also less likely to believe that workplace sensitivity training would be an effective solution. Across the other age groups, respondents put more faith in solutions within the company: workplace cultural changes, upper management commitment and better HR procedures to handle complaints.Respondent comments:
\u201cGood talking point like diversity, innovation and other buzzwords. I am skeptical about the follow-up on these issues. (M, 26-29)<\/li>
\u201cNo one cares here. They only want to \u2018appear\u2019 to care.\u201d (F, 30-34)<\/li>
\u201cAt the moment, I consider this issue as a \u2018compliance\u2019 regulation framework.\u201d (M, 30-34)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Most professionals and business people see #MeToo as a positive force<\/h2>
A majority of respondents, regardless of age, rank or gender, believe the #MeToo movement will create at least some degree of change in the workplace. Only 10% say it will have a high impact. But a strong belief that change is coming has clearly permeated the professional communities we surveyed.One caveat though is that some fear the change will be negative. They expressed concern that men who are fearful could discriminate against women in hiring and mentoring<\/a>.Additional respondent comments:
\u201cThe #MeToo movement has upper-level executives scared. They now realize the consequences for this unwanted behavior.\u201d (F 50-59)<\/li>
\u201cI would think the impact will always be both negative and positive. Positive in the sense that it will shed light on the issue but negative in a sense that people will look to take advantage of this movement at the expense of the people involved and overall cause.\u201d (M, 35-39)<\/li>
\u201cI believe journalistic attention to this situation has brought it higher in the mindset and thoughts of executives and HR personnel; but not high enough yet.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cSocial media movements move the media, not so much the real world. Makes people feel good to self-actualize but has little impact on actual behaviors. Real people doing real things within the organization and among its client\/customer base will have meaningful impact.\u201d (M, 65-69)<\/li><\/ul>For a related story, please see: A #MeToo backlash is brewing in banking<\/a><\/p>

Women who experience the most severe forms of sexual harassment are doubtful reports will be handled fairly<\/h2>
Fewer than half of respondents say they believe harassment is handled fairly by organizations in their industry. Women who have been subject to the most severe forms of unwelcome sexual behavior have the least confidence organizations in their industry will do the right thing.Respondent comments:
\u201cBecause the banking industry\u2019s leaders are generally asleep at the wheel. Taking action as we have done at our organization is not happening at peer banks.\u201d (F, 50-54)<\/li>
\u201cFinancial services industry has never dealt with women in a real way. Unfortunately there are not enough women in upper mgmt to force change.\u201d (F, 60-64)<\/li>
\u201cSome residents and physicians feel they are superior and untouchable by management.\u201d (F, 50-54)<\/li>
\u201cIn education there is a heightened awareness of this problem and the necessity of dealing with it swiftly and fairly.\u201d (F, 50-54)<\/li>
\u201cToo many other mandatory job requirements on their plate to deal with other important issues.\u201d (M, 65-69)<\/li><\/ul><\/p>

Smaller organizations are more vulnerable<\/h2>
Among respondents at organizations with fewer than 100 employees, 16% say harassment is highly prevalent in their industry. The responses suggest this is related to a lack of extensive human resources departments that would otherwise facilitate training and patrol transgressions. When companies have fewer than 100 employees, \u201cit is easy to be loose and less professional as there are no ramifications," says one respondent (M, 50-54).Additional respondent comments:
"At least for my company, we are too small and don't have a big name reputation at stake. We also don't have the resources or employees who are trained to handle these situations.\u201d (F, 30-34)<\/li>
There\u2019s "no training on the subject of sexual harassment." (M, 50-54)<\/li>
\u201cA lot of firms are small without an effective HR mechanism to make a complaint.\u201d (M, 50-54)<\/li><\/ul>For a related story, please see: Sexual harassment is a bigger problem than accountants think<\/a><\/p>

Wealth management fares worst <\/h2>
Financial advisory professionals are far more likely to say unwanted sexual conduct is highly prevalent in their industry than the average survey respondent. Many of the respondents in the financial advisory sector cited their industry\u2019s history and traditions as a factor. \u201cIt\u2019s getting better, but it is a carry-over from years past when the industry included a substantial amount of flirting and hitting on, which today is more likely than not called sexual harassment,\u201d says one male survey respondent, who has 25 years of industry experience.Additional respondent comments:
\u201cWhile there have been some high profile lawsuits by women, the locker room attitude continues." (M, 55)<\/li>
There is a \u201crelatively high ratio of males to females in all roles but especially in higher power roles.\u201d (F, 55-59)<\/li>
\u201cAlthough getting better, there were many cases of men abusing their power in the past couple of decades.\u201d (F, 21-25)<\/li>
\u201cInvestment advisory is very male, lots of big egos. I see the worst behavior when I'm at a conference \u2014 the alcohol and being away from home seems to make some men regress back into 18-year-old frat boys.\u201d (F, 60-64)<\/li><\/ul>For a related story, please see: Wealth management fares worst in broad study of sexual harassment <\/a><\/p>

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Apathy, blind spots and fixes: 10 insights on workplace harassment

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