Sexual harassment rife in the workplace

Three in five women have suffered sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse at work, a TUC poll has revealed, with the figure rising to nearly two in three among young women workers.

Workplace sexual harassment is rife among women of all ages, according to the survey of more than 1,000 women, with 58% saying they have experienced abuse. But it has a particular impact on women aged between 25 and 34, with 62% suffering at least one instance of harassment.

Many of the incidents are not isolated, the poll suggests, with 57% of respondents saying they have been bullied at work three or more times, and 43% reporting at least three occasions of sexual harassment.

Despite the frequency of harassment, less than a third of the women had told their employer for fear of not being taken seriously, or concerns about the impact on their working relationships and career prospects. Similarly, only two-fifths of women who were bullied had reported it, and just half of those who suffered verbal abuse.