Ask the Expert

Survey Finds One in Three Employees Reports Sexual Remarks inWorkplace

Inappropriate sexual comments were heard by one in three employees in the workplace last year, according to a national survey by Novations Group, a global consulting and training firm based in Boston.

BLR asked Novations executive consultant Tom McKinnon to discuss the survey’s results. In his role as executive consultant, McKinnon works with executives and senior managers to maximize the retention and development of all employees.

A: Novations Group conducts the survey annually. We find consistency from year to year, but believe that we have an obligation to help raise awareness that ridicule and slurs aren’t funny, but hurtful, even if the object of the humor plays along.

In brief, our survey found that improper sexual remarks were the most frequent type of ridicule in the workplace, followed by ethnic slurs and racial slurs. Men were twice as likely as women to hear any kind of workplace ridicule, especially sexual comments, where the gap was 44 percent to 22 percent.

The national telephone survey of 610 employed Americans was conducted for Novations Group by International Communications Research, Media, Pennsylvania, from February 8–12, 2007. Employees were asked if they heard one or more colleagues at work do any of the following during 2006:

Make a sexually inappropriate comment—44 percent of men and 22 percent of women said Yes, for a total of 34 percent of respondents.

Use an ethnic slur—39 percent of men and 20 percent of women answered Yes, for a total of 30 percent of respondents.

Use a racial slur—32 percent of men and 18 percent of women said Yes, for a total of 26 percent of respondents.

Ridicule someone based on their age—30 percent of men and 15 percent of women said Yes, for a total of 24 percent of respondents.

Ridicule someone based on their sexual orientation— 25 percent of men and 17 percent of women said Yes, for a total of 21 percent of respondents.

Ridicule someone because they are disabled—9 percent of men and 4 percent of women answered Yes, for a total of 6 percent of respondents.

Among the survey’s other findings:

• Ethnic slurs were more likely to be overheard by southerners than westerners, by 37 percent to 21 percent. Likewise, 34 percent of southerners reported racial slurs compared with just 16 percent of westerners.
• There were no significant differences in answers between white and black employees, except for sexual comments, which were heard by 36 percent of whites and 25 percent of blacks.
• By 34 percent to 11 percent, employees 18 to 34 years old were more likely to overhear age-related ridicule than their colleagues over the age of 55.
• In general, employees with more education or higher income were less likely to hear workplace ridicule.

Some employers’ attitude seems to be “boys will be boys.” Aside from possible legal liability, intolerant wisecracks or banter, even if innocently intended, are corrosive to employees’ individual sense of safety and acceptance. They undermine productivity, and that ought to hit home among senior management.

Tom McKinnon, executive consultant of Novations Group, may be contacted at 617-254-7600 or info@novations·com. Mr. McKinnon’s more than 30 years’ experience includes top executive HR and corporate services positions with Ryder System Inc., UNISYS Corporation, and General Electric Construction and Engineering Services Group. Learn more about Novations Group at www·novations·com.

Explicit Sexual Comments Cost Company $1.1 Million

The result of not addressing sexual remarks and harassment can be costly. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against an Illinois business, Custom Companies, Inc., in a sexual harassment case brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and a jury awarded the plaintiffs over $1 million.

Three female sales reps charged that they were subjected to lewd sexual language, pornography, groping, and sexual propositions on the job—by the company owner—and were expected to “entertain” clients at “gentlemen’s clubs.”

The jury awarded the women $2.36 million, which was lowered because of award limitations imposed by the Civil Rights Act. However, the judge wrote that the “defendant’s actions were reprehensible … because they came from a position of power.”