Fewer incidents, however, were reported
Half of employed women in Canada say they’ve experienced sexual harassment at work — yet many of the occurrences were never reported to a superior or human resources department.
The Canada Labour Code, according to Insights West, which conducted the poll, defines sexual harassment as “any conduct, comment, gesture or contact of a sexual nature that is likely to cause offence or humiliation to any employee; or that might, on reasonable grounds, be perceived by that employee as placing a condition of a sexual nature on employment or on any opportunity for training or promotion.”
More than half of working women in Canada (54 percent) say they have experienced conduct, comments, gestures or contact of a sexual nature that caused them offence or humiliation.
Three-in-ten (30 percent) experienced conduct, comments, gestures or contact of a sexual nature that they perceived as placing a condition of a sexual nature on their employment or on any opportunity they might have for training or promotion.
However, only 28 percent of working women in Canada who endured behavior that placed a condition on their employment or future career reported it to a superior and/or human resources department, according to the survey. Even fewer (22 percent) filed a complaint after being offended or humiliated by somebody else’s behavior.
For more on what the survey revealed about Canadian women’s experiences with sexual harassment at work, visit Insights West’s website.