12,000 to be quizzed in sex harassment survey

VICTIMS of sexual harassment across the UK are being urged to share their experiences to strengthen protection for workers.

Ministers will carry out a survey to find out how many people are affected by harassment in workplaces and elsewhere.

The Government Equalities Office said the move will give victims a chance to have their say on future laws.

It is one of the biggest surveys of its kind, with 12,200 women and men interviewed – but it is not clear how many will have suffered from harassment. A ComRes poll for the BBC in 2017 found 40 per cent of women and 18 per cent of men have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour at work.

Victoria Atkins, minister for women, said: ‘Sexual harassment is wrong and survivors must be able to share their stories.

‘This survey will help us build a clear picture of who is affected and where. Working together with business, we can stamp it out.’ The survey is part of a package of pledges to tackle sexual harassment at work, which includes a new code of practice for employers.

This will explain their legal responsibilities and advise them how to protect staff from sexual harassment.

Meanwhile, a new study has revealed women in senior positions are subject to more sexual harassment at work than those on a lower grade.

Swedish researchers said the reason was because they were caught in the middle and subjected to abuse by workers from above and below them.

Women in the US, Japan, and Sweden all reported the same trend even though gender equality in the three countries differs greatly.

Study author Professor Johanna Rickne, of Stockholm University, said: ‘We expected a higher exposure for women with less power in the workplace. Instead we found the contrary.’