According to a survey released on Friday, two out of every three young women in the United Kingdom have experienced sexual harassment, bullying, or verbal abuse at work.
However, most victims do not disclose events for fear of not being believed or of jeopardizing work connections and career opportunities, according to the UK umbrella labor organization the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
They disclosed the findings as part of a campaign to encourage the British government not to reverse new rules designed to protect workers from assault and harassment.
According to the TUC’s study of 1,000 women, three out of every five reported similar instances at work, although this rose to two-thirds among those aged 25 to 34.
The majority of occurrences occurred on company property, although others occurred by phone, text messages, and emails, as well as social media or virtual meetings.
The survey discovered that rather than being isolated instances, they were frequently repeated.
The TUC claims that some Conservative lawmakers are sabotaging the new workers’ rights legislation.
“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.”
Fewer than one in every three women who experienced sexual harassment had informed their employer, the survey found.
