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A harassment-free workplace is good for business

On Behalf of | Jul 26, 2018 | Uncategorized

Women in majority-male workplaces report higher rates of gender discrimination, according to a recent article by Kim Parker of the Pew Research Center.

The supporting data from 2017 suggests that rates of gender discrimination are not equally distributed across the labor force. While women are often the target, across the board, they face higher rates of discrimination in more male dominated industries.

Examples of male dominated industries, as reported re:

  • Heavy equipment operation
  • Repair and construction
  • Computer and engineering
  • Automotive service technicians and mechanics
  • Carpenters
  • Mechanical engineers
  • Computer programmers

Critics of this article may suggest that perhaps women who opt into working in these heavily male industries differ from the average woman, and therefore skew the data. The data says otherwise.

“Although there may be differences in the occupations they hold, women who work in majority-male workplaces are not markedly different from other working women. They have a similar educational and racial and ethnic profile and a similar median age compared with women who say their workplaces are mostly female. So the differences in attitudes and workplace experiences are most likely not attributable to demographic differences.”

Embracing training is smart business

Before getting into the responsibilities of employers to create a safe and comfortable workplace, it’s important to be reminded of the added values for employers who embrace a proactive approach to harassment in the workplace. First, you’ll attract and retain better employees, and second, you will reduce your chances of undergoing litigation.

In New York, anti-harassment legislation has resulted in new laws and initiatives for employers with more than fifteen employees. Those employers must conduct annual sexual-harassment training for all employees and interns.

With so much importance placed on harassment prevention, it’s a wise idea for all businesses, but especially those with a higher proportion of men to women, to partner with an expert in the field. Doing this will benefit your business and the employees it’s comprised of.