Sexism In The Workplace

Received this very thought-provoking article from CatererSearch today. A truly shocking revelation in this day and age, and something I have been lucky enough never to have witnessed first hand. Take a look for yourself...

Despite the drive for equal opportunities in the modern workplace, it still appears that sexism in the workplace is rife and on the increase. In a survey of 2,067 female employees by legal services firm Peninsula, 72% claimed they had been bullied because of their gender. This is a 10% increase on the same survey Peninsula carried out in 2002. The survey revealed that only 8% of respondents would tell their boss if they were being harassed, while 81% said they would not report it at all.

In Caterer’s own survey in 2005, 42% of respondents (both male and female) had been the victim of sexual harassment or discrimination, with more than half (54%) of hotel employees suffering the most, saying this sector was where most of the offences occurred.

When it comes to career progression, more women (82%) believe that being female harmed their chances compared with Peninsula’s 2002 survey (78%). While in the industry, Caterer found that 42% felt their sex hindered their career.

Many also believe, that in their experience, there remains a male bias in the workplace (85%), which shows that the equal opportunities legislation is still failing to have a serious impact.

Policies regarding equal opportunities need to be included in contracts of employment and communicated to staff, according to the managing director of Peninsula, Peter Done. In order for employers to avoid costly court cases, employers must ensure that written policies and procedures are enforced, he said. “Tribunals will most certainly find an employer failing in duty of care of they do not have a written, well-publicised equal opportunities policy.”