Hiscox Study Shows More Than One-Third of US Workers Feel They’ve Experienced Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual Harassment Tops List as Most Common Form of Employee Misconduct

New York, NY, Sept. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A study released today by Hiscox, the international specialist insurer, revealed that more than one-third (35%) of employees feel they’ve experienced workplace harassment, 50% of whom said it was on account of their gender or sex. These findings are according to the 2018 Hiscox Workplace Harassment Study™, which surveyed 500 US adults employed full-time. 

“As the spotlight on workplace harassment intensifies, companies must be aware of the peril they face by ignoring this issue,” said Patrick Mitchell, Management Liability Product Head at Hiscox USA. “Businesses of all sizes face steep financial, reputational, and workforce consequences if they fail to take steps to prevent, detect and mitigate inappropriate behavior in the workplace.”

Gender and Seniority are Key Factors, but They’re Not the Only Ones

While it’s important to note that companies should be careful not to overlook any potential incidents of harassment, 78% of those who were harassed said it was perpetrated by a male, and 73% said their harasser was in a senior position. The data also found instances where respondents explained that the harassment was committed by women against men, by members of the same sex and by non-company employees, such as customers or vendors. All of these scenarios represent incidents in which a company could be subject to liability and financial loss if they fail to appropriately protect their employees.

Harassment Often Goes Unreported

Despite more than one in three employees noting they felt harassed, 40% of those respondents said they never reported the harassment to company management or the police. The top reason cited for the failure to report was the fear the allegations would create a hostile work environment (53%). Of those who were harassed and did report it, 37% did not believe the incident was handled properly by their employer, and for women who reported harassment, this figure climbed to 49%. It’s not just victims who don’t report harassment. Forty-five percent of all respondents said they have witnessed harassment in the workplace, 42% of whom did not report it.

Harassment Happens at Companies of Any Size, but Reactions Vary

Companies of all sizes are subject to harassment claims. In fact, the percentage of respondents who indicated they had been harassed was the same (32%) at companies with fewer than 200 employees as it was at those with over 1,000 employees.

However, how companies approach harassment may vary. Fifty-four percent of respondents at companies with fewer than 200 employees said their firm does not offer anti-harassment training compared to only 21% of those at firms with more than 1,000 employees. And only 39% of those at smaller firms reported that their company had implemented new workplace harassment policies within the past 12 months versus 57% of their larger counterparts.

The Changing Mindset Around Harassment

In an era of increased transparency and social movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp, employers are taking a more proactive approach to prevention. Eighty-five percent of respondents said they believed people were more likely to report incidents on account of these social movements. Fifty-one percent of those surveyed said their companies had instituted new policies related to workplace harassment in the past 12 months.

Millennials have also known this time of open discussion to be more of the norm than their parents and grandparents. As such, Millennials were the most likely to say they were harassed (46%), compared to 35% of Gen Xers. Millennials were also more likely to report harassment to company management or the police (76%).

Related Materials:
2018 Hiscox Workplace Harassment Study™

About the Study

The Hiscox Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 500 US adults employed full-time, including 250 men and 250 women, between June 6 and June 11, 2018, using an email invitation and an online survey.

About Hiscox

Hiscox is a global specialist insurer, headquartered in Bermuda and listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:HSX). Our ambition is to be a respected specialist insurer with a diverse portfolio by product and geography. We believe that building balance between catastrophe-exposed business and less volatile local specialty business gives us opportunities for profitable growth throughout the insurance cycle. It’s a long-standing strategy which in 2017 saw the business deliver a profit before tax (excluding foreign exchange) of £93.6 million despite reserving net $225 million for claims in the most costly year ever for natural catastrophes.

The Hiscox Group employs over 2,700 people in 14 countries, and has customers worldwide. Through the retail businesses in the UK, Europe, Asia and the US, we offer a range of specialist insurance for professionals and business customers as well as homeowners. Internationally traded, bigger ticket business and reinsurance is underwritten through Hiscox London Market and Hiscox Re & ILS.

Our values define our business, with a focus on people, quality, courage and excellence in execution. We pride ourselves on being true to our word and our award-winning claims service is testament to that. This information is neither intended nor should be construed to be a solicitation for the purchase of insurance by any US person or entity. For further information visit www.hiscox.com.

Follow Hiscox USA on Twitter @HiscoxSmallbiz

The content provided above is provided for general informational purposes, but is not intended, nor shall it be deemed, to be business, legal or insurance advice for any particular or specific person or entity. 

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• 2018 Hiscox Workplace Harassment Study

Lou Casale
                    Hiscox
                    +1 646 442 8341
                    Lou.Casale@hiscox.com
                    
                    Gyawu Mahama
                    Hiscox
                    +1 678 781 6003
                    Gyawu.Mahama@hiscox.com