Quarter of women are victims of workplace harassment, study finds

More than a quarter of women have faced harassment at work, with one in seven reporting unwanted sexual behaviour, shocking new research reveals.

In total, 27% of women and 16% of men experienced harassment in the past five years, while 16% have considered leaving their jobs because of it. Threatening behaviour in the workplace has also left 51% of employees feeling companies need to do more to make staff feel safe, while 82% say the ability to report issues near their workplace would be vital.

UK firms are exploring ways to tackle harassment and comply with the Workers' Protection Act. Personal safety appWalkSafe, which surveyed 2,000 workers with Opinium, has launched an anonymous reporting tool called WalkSafe Pro Prevent - which helps employees raise concerns safely and prevent escalation.

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Emma Kay, founder of WalkSafe, which came to prominence in the wake of Sarah Everard’s death in 2021, said: "This new research just shows that harassment in the workplace, especially for women, is at alarmingly high levels and must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

"Workers have a right to feel they can report harassment easily and without fear or judgement. Sadly, that is not the case for everyone. However, employers can do more to change that."

Workers in Leeds (34%), Edinburgh (32%) and Cardiff (28%) were most likely to face harassment at work. Many employees don't report incidents, with 10% overall and 13% of women feeling unable to tell their bosses, and 9% not reporting sexual harassment because they feared they wouldn't be believed.

The research found strong support for anonymous reporting: 51% would feel safer with it, 54% said they'd be more likely to report inappropriate behaviour, and 84% welcomed a safety app to raise concerns, rising to 89% among those under 34.

Around 13% of workers have left a job due to harassment, often involving colleagues or senior staff.

In response, WalkSafe is launching their anonymous reporting tool in its app, allowing employees to safely report harassment or bullying and receive advice on commuting, workplace events, and after-work situations without fear of reprisals.

Emma added: "WalkSafe Pro Prevent helps companies comply with the recent Workers Protection Legislation, and is a valuable benefit for employees, building a strong company culture with a reputation for prioritising wellbeing and employee safety.

WalkSafe Pro gives HR managers and companies an early warning of developing harassment issues at work so they can deal with them before they escalate into formal complaints, avoiding negative PR and lawsuits."

The WalkSafe app is a free personal safety app that helps users feel safer when out and about, particularly as the nights get darker - with information on crime in the area from police and councils.

Downloads soared from 2,000 to 300,000 in the week after Sarah Everard was brutally murdered on her way home in Clapham, south London in March 2021.