Two out of every three young women have faced sexual harassment, bullying or verbal abuse in the workplace in Britain, according to a survey.
But most victims do not report incidents for fear they will not be believed or that it might harm work relationships and career prospects, said UK umbrella labour organisation the Trades Union Congress [TUC] on Friday.
They released the results as part of a campaign to persuade Britain's government not to backtrack on new laws aimed at protecting workers from assault and harassment.
In its poll of 1,000 women, the TUC said that three out of every five reported such incidents at work -- but that climbed to two-thirds among those aged between 25 and 34 years.
According to the poll, younger women were particularly at risk of harassment, with over half of women aged between 18 to 34 saying they have experienced harassment at work.
The poll also found that less than one in three of women who say they experienced sexual harassment told their employers about it.
Most cases occurred on work premises but also happened via phone, text messages and emails, and via social media or virtual meetings.
And rather than being isolated incidents they were often repeated, the survey found.
Sabotage
The TUC says the new law protecting workers is being sabotaged by some lawmakers from the governing Conservative party.
The Worker Protection Bill, a private member’s bill put forward by Wera Hobhouse MP with ministers’ support, would introduce a new preventative duty on employers to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace.
"Every woman should be safe from sexual harassment but every day we hear stories about the extent of sexual harassment in our workplaces," said TUC general secretary Paul Nowak.
"We know many women in public-facing jobs -- like retail workers and GP receptionists -- suffer regular abuse from customers and patients.
"Sexual harassment and bullying have no place in modern workplaces."
He urged the ministers to ensure the bill passes in full or women will continue to suffer in work places.
“Ministers must urgently ensure this bill passes in full – or they will let down working women right across the country.”
Source: TRTworld.com