Many Texas employees who experience on-the-job sexual harassment never report their experiences. However, many who do wind up having their employers take action against them after they make their claims. Research shows that the majority of American employees who file work-related sexual harassment claims wind up having their employers fire or retaliate against them in the aftermath.
According to Mercury News, a review of more than 46,000 reports of workplace sexual harassment showed that 64% of claimants had their employers fire them from their jobs within a year of filing their claims. The number of sexual harassment victims facing some sort of workplace retaliation after reporting the behavior is even higher. About 68% of claimants report experiencing retaliation after filing sexual harassment claims.
Retaliation examples
Workplace retaliation takes on many forms. Some employees who reported sexual harassment found themselves demoted to less favorable positions. Others had their schedules changed or salaries reduced. Others yet reported ongoing bullying in their workplaces after calling attention to the sexual harassment.
Harassment trends
Research shows that many who file claims about workplace sexual harassment have similarities. Many are women, with women, who make up less than half of the U.S. workforce, making more than 80% of all sexual harassment reports. Many who filed sexual harassment complaints also work in the same industries. Female workers in the restaurant industry, the entertainment industry or in warehousing or transportation are frequent victims of workplace sexual harassment.
The study outlined above took place before the onset of the “Me Too” movement. How the movement might affect these numbers is not yet known.
