Canadians Experience Sexual Harassment at Work But Don't Report It

A new report by the Angus Reid Institute shows that Canadians are not reporting sexual harassment in the workplace.

According to the research, three in 10 Canadians say they have been on the receiving end of unwelcome sexual advances while on the job. Another one in seven adults has experienced sexual harassment more intense than innuendo or talk. The findings are the result of an Angus Reid Institute national online survey of more than 1,500 Canadian adults who are currently working or who have worked outside of the home.

Photo Credit: Angus Reid Institute

The results show that while both genders identified experiences of harassment, women are almost four times as likely to have been harassed as men. For one-in-four of those who told the Angus Reid Institute they’ve been sexually harassed at work, the experiences are recent, occurring within the last 24 months. Of those who have faced sexual harassment, only one in five have reported it.

For the purposes of the survey, sexual harassment was defined as "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal (non-touching) conduct of a sexual nature". The Angus Reid Institute survey finds more than one-in-four Canadians have been sexually harassed at work or at a work function ,and one-in-seven have been subject to unwanted sexual contact at work.

​Photo Credit: Angus Reid Institute

Women are more than three times as likely as men to say they have experienced sexual harassment at work – 43 per cent versus 12 per cent. Women are also twice as likely to report experiencing unwanted contact at work – 20 per cent of women versus 9 per cent of men.

There are a wide range of reasons to explain why Canadians do not report incidents of sexual harassment and unwanted contact in the workplace. It is noteworthy that there are no significant differences in reasoning between the two groups. The single biggest reason selected by both groups? They preferred to “deal with it on their own”.

Three-quarters of Canadians say that the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace is an important issue and should get more attention. Most Canadians believe it is widespread or at least a common occurrence.